Yankee visit to wrap up '08

CLEVELAND - A season-opening trip to Japan is still in limbo for 2008, but the Red Sox are expected to open their home schedule April 8 against the Detroit Tigers. They will end the season with three games at home against the Yankees (Sept. 26-28), a reprise of the 2005 schedule in which the Yankees (division winners) and Sox (wild-card entries) both celebrated at Fenway Park on the season's final weekend.

A number of teams have already released their schedules, which have gone through a number of revisions since a draft was sent to clubs over a month ago. As the master schedule currently reads, the Sox would open the season March 31 in Oakland with a four-game series against the Athletics. But that will change if the Sox accede to Major League Baseball's wishes to open the season in Japan with two games against the Athletics, which would take place a week earlier.

If the Sox go to Japan, they would then proceed to Oakland and, after a respite of several days, play two games against the Athletics. A three-game series is scheduled to follow in Toronto April 4-6. Then, after an off day, the Sox would play three games against the Tigers (April 8-10), followed by three games against the Yankees (April 11-13, a weekend).

The Yankees' two other visits to Fenway Park also are scheduled for weekends: the last weekend in July (25-27) and the season-ending visit in September. With the Yankees moving into a new building in 2009, the Sox will play their final games in Yankee Stadium next season. They have a two-game series in New York April 16-17, a four-game series over the Fourth of July (July 3-6), and a midweek series at the end of August (Aug. 26-28).

The Sox will play teams from the National League Central next season, in addition to a three-game set in Philadelphia against the Phillies (June 16-18), a so-called "natural" rival, and a three-game set at home against NL West foe Arizona (June 23-25). They have no games against the Pirates or Cubs. The Milwaukee Brewers, a former AL team, visit in May (May 16-18). The Cardinals are in June 20-22. On the road, the Sox play the Reds (June 13-15) and Astros (June 27-29).

The Athletics are enthusiastic about going to Japan, the Sox less so. CEO Larry Lucchino has long been a strong proponent of staging games overseas, but principal owner John Henry is said to share the concerns of the baseball operations side, led by general manager Theo Epstein, that the long travel and resultant fatigue will have a negative impact on the team's performance.

Commissioner Bud Selig may end up having to lean on the Sox to go, though it hasn't come to that yet. MLB is still negotiating terms with Yomiuri, the media conglomerate that is sponsoring the trip.

Spare change

Assuming Tim Wakefield makes his start tonight, Doug Mirabelli is scheduled to catch, but otherwise Terry Francona sounded disinclined to make lineup changes, even after last night's Game 3 loss. Jason Varitek, who will sit with Mirabelli playing, homered last night but is batting just .160 in the playoffs (4 for 25) with eight whiffs. Dustin Pedroia was also batting .160 (4 for 25) and J.D. Drew was at .227 (5 for 22), with no walks. Asked if he had any thoughts of putting Bobby Kielty or Jacoby Ellsbury in the lineup, Francona said, "No. This is our lineup. Again, Kielty will play against C.C. [Sabathia] because it's something that makes us better.

"There are a couple of things that happen in playoff baseball, especially when you have days off. It gives people on the periphery time to examine every single thing, and then, when you run out of stuff, you start making up stuff. I don't need to fall into that.

"I don't want to do things differently because we have more time on our hands. Our team is our team and we'll go play. Certainly, Ellsbury can impact a game like he did the other night, but I don't think we have to deviate from our team.

"I think I would be doing our team more of an injustice by making wholesale changes, because again, it amazes me, but maybe it shouldn't: Lose one game, and it's like the world came to a screeching halt. We have to have the ability to absorb a loss, move on, and then not lose. So that's where I guess I expend my energy."

Francona, citing the benefit of extra rest for Curt Schilling and Daisuke Matsuzaka as a factor, did not waver from his decision to pitch Wakefield and not start Josh Beckett on three days' rest.

"From sitting where I sit, it doesn't put our team in a better position," he said. "We are better off doing it this way. We're putting guys in the position to be the best pitcher they can be.

"A lot of it is Beckett. What Beckett did at age [23], there are so many circumstances that lead us into making decisions that just don't apply [four] years ago. Beckett could go out tomorrow on two days' rest and throw a shutout. He's really good. Our whole team sets up better doing this."

Old home week

Manny Ramírez is hitting .358 (38 for 106 ) in 26 games as an opposing player in Jacobs Field, including a .471 mark (8 for 17, 2 HRs) this season. He had hit nine home runs at Jacobs Field as a visitor . . . The Sox had reason to believe that Jonathan Papelbon was tipping his pitches Saturday night, judging by the reaction of some of the Indians hitters . . . The one that got away: His name has seldom been mentioned since the Sox designated him for assignment and he was picked up by the Phillies, but you can be sure the Sox wouldn't mind having J.C. Romero around, at least the Romero who became a huge part of the Phillies' pen. He had a 1.24 ERA in 51 appearances for Philadelphia, and manager Charlie Manuel didn't hesitate to go to him in the eighth inning . . . The Red Sox claimed lefthander Jay Marshall off waivers from the A's. The 24-year-old Marshall, who was 1-2 with a 6.43 ERA in 51 appearances for Oakland, was added to the 40-man roster. To make room, the club designated lefthander Daniel Haigwood for assignment.