Beckett injured, will pitch Game 3

Biiiig sigh of relief.
and

FIRST!!1!

If they can't have Beckett in Game 1, Lester is the next best choice. The Angels haven't seen him this year, at least not the Lester that has emerged since his no-hitter in May. If they face Lester in top form, the Halos are in trouble!

Eddie Pants is not going to be happy with this!!!

It is hard to imagine that he will be ready in game 3 either. A pitcher does not come back that quick from a oblique muscle injury that quick. He is likely out for the series.

Red Sox Nation just got a belly full. With Beckett another championship is possible - without him forget about it!!! His type of injury doesn't heal is a couple of days!!

No Beckett = No Championship

Just not our year, guys -- too much adversity.

I personally think it could be a blessing in diguise...because it gives his elbow longer to rest and plus he's our third best pitcher this year anyways. So instead of asking a guy to do more than he should because he's 'theoretically' our ace (when healthy) we end up with our two best pitchers going AND get to rest Beckett for either the end of the series or the next series if we can figure a way to scrap some wins. Anything can happen in a 5 game set!

I have to agree with the comment that without Beckett the Sox cannot win the whole thing. But I also have to say I agree with Bob Ryan's column today. Enjoy the ride and see what happens.

Francoma is trying to pull a fast one by the media on this. Beckett is not our best starter this year and thats it and he sure its not hurt. He wants Lester for game one, Dice on the road in game 2, and finally have a chance to get big game Beckett at home.

After 3 if we are up 2-1 we get Wake in game 4, if we are down 2-1 we get Lester at home and Dice on the road.

The series comes down to our offense. If we can pitch with the lead the halo's will panic and stop playing small ball which will be our advantage. This series will be won by the team who is not trying to hit the 3 run homerun.

With that said, I feel Casey at first and Coco in center and Kostay and Cora on the bench. It's a big outfield in LA.

I also think its worth a look for Hansack over Byrd in the pen. I think with adding a righty with a different pitching slot only compliments the rest of Masterson, Oki, and Lopez. This gives us 4 relivers that have different deliveries/arm angles from the "norm". Plus the Angels have not seen him all year and it might take one time through the order to adjust. And having him for long relief and the ability to use in a game started by Dice K we will need all the outs we can get to the 9th. Byrd and Timlin don't offer much in a 5 game series.

In a championship year, guys stay healthy, a young starter is suprisingly good, not dissappointingly awful, your slugger doesn't have a bad wrist, your other slugger is focused on winning, not getting traded to LA. The closer is money in the bank.

The organization is still strong, the season has been long and wrong.

HELL YEA IM WORRIED!!!!!!!!

It could be 1967 all over again.
One pitcher short of a series win.
How's Schilling feeling?

As I've written elsewhere, the news about Beckett seems to symbolize the entire season. Without Beckett at 100% and with Lowell and Drew questionable at best, it's obvious the Red Sox are highly vulnerable. My impression is that injuries have had a greater impact on the season overall than usual--and I include the Rays and Yankees in this. At full strength, I think the Red Sox are the strongest team in baseball, but they are not at full strength and they haven't been all year. As for the Yankees, I believe that even at full strength they were doomed by a mediocre pitching staff. The Rays are the great mystery or miracle, if you will. Nobody predicted they would contend and they had more than their share of injuries, and yet they won the East division. The Angels? Despite their record, I do think they are a question mark because they were not tested in the weak West. I think we're playing the lottery this year.

It's the same in every sport...The team with the least injuries, wins.

I'll answer for the entire "Nation": YES! But remember, this does not give us an excuse for games 1 and 2. It just makes game 3 more of a crap-shoot. This team can win anywhere, there is a **itload of character on this team, even if some of those characters are on the bench.
Let's enjoy it and see what happens!

This sucks but I trust Lester for Game 1

Dice-K can be wild but he's our best option for Game 2

Still if the series goes 5 and Beckett's ready on 4 days rest do you use him?

Need 3 strong starting pitchers to have a chance. Will not make it thru the 1st round with only 2 and some luck. Have to concede at this point, it is the Rays year. Predict Angels over Sox in 4 and Rays over Angels in 7. Despite all of the adversity the Sox had a good and entertaining year. Hats off for making the Wild Card.

The arguement can be made that NO team had more success with the many injuries befalling starters than the Sox. Set up by masterful drafting, trading and developing from our front office, Francona juggled - how many different lineups ?- all season to get to where the Sox are today. Sure, the odds are against the Sox today, but they are still capable of winning in a short series. It has been an exciting year with breakout performances ( 2 no hitters in a season and a half ! Youk and Pedroia carrying the team all season, and purging the team of a cancerous superstar ) all to get here. Let's go Red Sox!!

It has been an interesting year. Of course we gave away the division to the Devil Rays.I refuse to call them the rays.
The Redsox have to be the most infamous team for beating themselves.
Anyhoo the angels killed us during the regular season, but it is time for the second season and we didnt have Bay for the previous debacles vs anaheim and history has been on our side Vs. the angles in the post season.

Do I think our team is in trouble without Beckett? Yes. Do I think we can win without him? Also "yes". We still have two very good starters and if it is Wakefield going in game 3, maybe the coin-toss (his knuckle-ball) will be in his favor and he'll have one of his unhittable games. I am amazed we got here at all with all the injuries + the Manny mess. As "John D" said (quoting the Ryan column), let's enjoy the ride. We may surprise everyone ...even ourselves.

A coin toss....buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride. GO SOX!!

I was worried BEFORE Beckett got hurt.

It hurts bad so the offense will have to step up. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF YOU GUYS BUT I STILL BELIEVE AND YOU SHOULD TOO.

It hurts bad so the offense will have to step up. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF YOU GUYS BUT I STILL BELIEVE AND YOU SHOULD TOO. Saying that we are all done is not going to help so wake and act like a fan!!!

It's a scam!!! Lester is the choice over Beckett to start game 1, but they don't wanna say it!!

It would have been nice to have Beckett in Game One with Dice K in game 2 (great road record) and Lester in 3 (great home record). But now, we have the potential to have Beckett in game 3 so if we can win one of two in Anaheim, that will put us in a good position to win game 3 with Lester again in 4. I predict sox in 4. Lester 2 wins.

HELLO!!!!!!!! We came back from an 0-3 hole against the Yankees and most of you are packing it in b/c Beckett's start is getting pushed back? I don't know about the rest of you but I STILL BELIEVE! I think we have the 3rd most runs in baseball so lets out hit everyone. Jacoby has been on fire of late so lets build on that.

Beckett is fine. This makes sense. Make it so that Beckett can't travel to Anaheim and is nice and rested. Lester starts the series, then Dice K...who has the better record on the road. Beckett goes game three at Fenway which makes Lester available again and this time at Fenway where HE has the better record for game 4 if needed! GENIUS plan TITO!!

Who allowed Beckett to have a side session in a cold wet drizzle in the first place?

No Manny, no Beckett , Ortiz with a bad hand, I mean our lineup except for Pedroia does not scare anyone, but it is the beginning of the Century and we always do well beginning the Century, check out the last one.
GO SOX!!!

No Beckett, No shot. Angels are too good. This is a very bad omen

Is Francona being Bill? Brady was on the injury report every week...and...started 120 plus consecutive regular season and playoff games. Prior to this anouncement there was speculation that the Sox wanted Dice-k to start on the road with Lester leading of the series. Could be a smoke screen ala Belichek.

Obviously, if Beckett is really hurt we are probably done, but I am not sure that this isn't just some smoke-screen. It seems like the Sox would want to go Lester 1 and Dice-K on the road. Game 3 is a huge swing game, and a dominant Beckett should be key. I am more worried about the offense against good pitching, we just don't seem to win the close games this year.
Which is more important taditional dominance in the post-season versus the Angels or this year were they dominated us in the regular season?

BoSox are a good team, not a great team. Despite the apparent weakness of the AL West, the Angels dominated on the road against some VERY GOOD teams (BoSox included). Angels have home field, excellent pitching and defense, with ability to both the small ball and the long ball.
Angels in 4.

Hey Matt.......way to have faith. I am sure you packed it in when the sox were down 0-3 to the Yanks? Right? Fairweather fan! LET'S GO SOX!!!!!!