NewsBeckett ready to get back at it
Cleveland (65-95) at Boston (93-67), 7:10 p.m. ET
By John Barone / MLB.com
10/03/09 1:41 AM EST
BOSTON -- Jon Lester passed his final postseason tuneup test with flying colors. Now it's Josh Beckett's turn.Boston's ace was scratched from his previous start on Monday, the same day he received three cortisone injections in his upper back to quell mild spasms -- not the best news for a team that opens play in the American League Division Series next week.
Much to the delight of the Red Sox, Beckett declared on Tuesday that he would take the ball on Saturday, when the club continues its final regular-season series of 2009 against the Indians at Fenway Park.
The righty's 62-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday eased any further doubt, averting a crisis of seismic proportions for a Boston squad aiming to ride its 29-year-old flamethrower -- in tandem with Lester -- to a third World Series title in six seasons.
A front-runner for the American League Cy Young Award before hitting a rough patch in August (5.03 ERA in six starts), Beckett was much improved last month in posting a 3.66 ERA over five September outings.
Though skipping a rotation turn is hardly encouraging, extra rest late in the regular season rarely hurts a pitcher gearing up for the playoffs. In the case of Beckett, who has logged a career-high 207 1/3 innings in 2009, perhaps some added time off in between starts could be precisely what he needs.
Manager Terry Francona certainly hopes the approach pays dividends down the road.
"Anytime something [injury-related] happens, we try to make it be beneficial," Francona said. "Rather than whine about something, we try to make something that was maybe a negative and turn it into a positive."
Pitching matchupBOS: RHP Josh Beckett (16-6, 3.78 ERA)
Beckett makes his final regular-season appearance after missing Monday's start with mild back spasms. His next strikeout will give him a career-high 195. CLE: LHP Aaron Laffey (7-8, 3.91 ERA)
Laffey took the loss against the White Sox on Monday, but he still turned in a strong outing. He went 7 1/3 innings in which he allowed three runs on eight hits with three walks and five strikeouts. All three runs came in the second inning, in which only one ball hit off Laffey was a line drive. Though he had a rough patch in the middle of September, Laffey has rebounded with two strong starts and given further reason to expect him to factor into the Tribe's season-opening rotation next year. Tidbits
Francona said right fielder J.D. Drew, who received a cortisone injection in his left shoulder on Wednesday to relieve inflammation in the joint, will likely play in one of the team's final two regular-season games. ... Shortstop Jed Lowrie is expected to start on Saturday. ... Catcher/first baseman Victor Martinez has recorded a hit in each of his past 28 starts, batting .352 (37-for-105) with 16 RBIs over that span. It is the longest such streak by an AL player since Johnny Damon reeled off a 29-gamer from June 10-July 17, 2005, with Boston. Tickets
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• Sunday: Red Sox (Clay Buchholz, 7-4, 3.74) vs. Indians (Tomo Ohka, 1-4, 5.45), 1:35 p.m. ET
John Barone is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
