Still 4 down, 7 to go.
After a battle that went late into the night Saturday, the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays both made an early morning arrival into Boston on Sunday morning. The Red Sox held an optional workout while the Rays fulfilled their media obligations but declined to workout.
The media portion of the day for the Red Sox brought up the one question that seemed to be answered after the game on Saturday night. Is Josh Beckett healthy?
“Do you guys know something that I don’t know?” said Beckett
“I don’t know why they keep asking me the same question,” Josh Beckett [stats] said late yesterday afternoon at Fenway Park [map], after the media horde had left his locker in search of the next available player.
“They can ask me the same question over and over, and the answer is going to be the same,” he said. “I’m OK. I’m fine. Once I’ve said that, they have to write that and stop asking me about it.”
Obviously we know that he had gotten a cortisone injection for the injured oblique and that something was wrong. We also know oblique injuries aren’t easy to overcome for hitters and the same could be said for pitchers given that their bodies create a lot of torque. I think the media will continue to press for that answer of is he hurt because his velocity is down a few MPH from all season. But one thing’s for sure, they aren’t going to get that answer from Beckett.
After playing some night games in Tampa, the Red Sox and Rays will play a late afternoon game today.
Here are the transcripts of Red Sox manager Terry Francona, Rays manager Joe Maddon and Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey press conferences from Sunday afternoon.
The Rays are no longer fearful of Fenway Park after taking 2-of-3 there in September.
Jacoby Ellsbury and David Ortiz are struggling in the ALCS for the Red Sox.
The Rays rookies are handling the playoff pressure well so far.
You have to like the Red Sox chances this afternoon with Jon Lester on the bump. All he’s done so far this postseason is throw 14 innings without allowing an earned run (he has allowed one unearned run to score). He has truly been the Red Sox ace this season and has stepped up at every juncture when the Red Sox need a big win. I truly expect that to happen today, especially given Lester’s track record at home and his track record against the Rays at Fenway Park (3-0, 0.90 ERA) this season.
Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com has some audio clips from yesterday’s workout.
For more playoff slices of Boston Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Hartford Courant and Providence Journal websites.
And if you must see what the enemy papers are saying you can check out the Tampa Tribune and St. Petersburg Times websites.
