Plan is to go forth with Wakefield

CLEVELAND - Terry Francona did not equivocate. He did not state he had the right to change his mind.

Tim Wakefield will pitch Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. Period.

That should end speculation that the Red Sox will bring back Josh Beckett on three days' rest, setting up the ace to pitch Game 7 on regular rest if they elected to go that route.

That's not going to happen, Francona insisted, regardless of the outcome of tonight's start by Daisuke Matsuzaka.

As it stands now, Wakefield will pitch tomorrow night. Beckett would pitch in Thursday's Game 5. If the series returns to Boston Saturday, Francona could bring back Curt Schilling for Game 6 on five days' rest, or bring back Matsuzaka on four days' rest and save Schilling for Game 7. Theoretically, he could even bring back Wakefield on regular rest in Game 7. That's a decision for another day.

But Wakefield, a 17-game winner who hasn't pitched since Sept. 29 because he had a cortisone shot in the back of his right shoulder, is a definite go tomorrow night.

"I think what we're trying to do is set up our rotation so we can win a series," Francona said. "I think sometimes you can get shortsighted if the need for panic arises, or like perceived panic. If you lose a couple of games, everybody wants you to immediately change what you've set up.

"The reason we set it up like this is because we think it gives us the best chance to win a series. Doing something like that may give you a chance to win a game, it may not, but it doesn't set up the rest of the series.

"We really value the rest that a Schilling can get, and Daisuke, also. It's not just one guy that it affects, it affects three guys in the rotation."

Beckett pitched on three days' rest in Game 6 of the 2003 World Series and threw a complete-game shutout against the Yankees in the clinching game for the Florida Marlins. This decision is likely to generate loads of conversation in the coming days, especially if the Indians win tonight.

Early arrival

The team left Boston around 3:30 a.m. yesterday and arrived at its Cleveland hotel at around 6. Only a handful of players were on hand for an optional workout: catchers Jason Varitek and Doug Mirabelli, Beckett, second baseman Dustin Pedroia, outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Bobby Kielty, and nonactive players Bryan Corey and Royce Clayton . . . Francona was quizzed about his use of Eric Gagné, who took the loss in the 11th inning and was not in the clubhouse when media entered after the game. "Last night, strikeout [Casey Blake], first-pitch [single] to [Grady] Sizemore, walk," Francona said. "We were actually going to let him face Trot [ Nixon] if he had gotten [Asdrubal] Cabrera, but when he walked Cabrera, we decided to go to Javy [ Lopez], even if they're going to hit for Trot with [Jason] Michaels, just because it's the 11th inning and it seemed like the right thing to do. When you make a move like that and you don't get the hitter you need to get, it can unravel like it did." . . . Saturday's 11-inning defeat was the first time the Red Sox have lost a postseason extra-inning game at home. The Sox were 7-0-1 in eight such games prior to last night. The Red Sox and New York Giants played to a 6-6, 11-inning tie in Game 2 of the 1912 World Series. The game was called because of darkness and forced the series, which the Red Sox won, to go eight games . . . The Red Sox had won their last three extra-inning postseason games, all at home, since an 11-inning defeat at Yankee Stadium in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.