Pregame Red Sox notes

• Josh Beckett endured a difficult start last night without further injuring his strained right oblique, Francona said. Last night, catcher Jason Varitek praised Beckett for the preparation he put in to allow himself to pitch Game 3. Francona echoed that today.

  “This start could have slid by, and nobody would have had any right to question him not pitching,” Francona said. “But I thought our medical people gave him a realistic goal. When you give him a realistic goal, it’s over. In other words, he’s gonna do it.”

  Though Beckett allowed 13 base runners and four runs in five innings, Francona was pleased with Beckett’s effort. He admitted Beckett’s start, particularly in the opening inning, was abnormally deliberate. But he also praised the Angels – not known for taking pitches – for their patience and making Beckett work.

  “Last night, you’re playing a team that has 100 wins,” Francona said. “You may not always carve them up. I thought he did a good job to get there and then not come out of it like, ‘Oh, that was my last bullet, I’m done.’

  “It didn’t work out as clean as we wanted it, but that’s the game. I thought he did a good job.”

• Sean Casey is the only Red Sox position player on the active roster who has not appeared this series. Casey, a .322 hitter in 199 at-bats this season, has been passed over at first base for Mark Kotsay in games Mike Lowell has not played and Kevin Youkilis has moved across the diamond.

  The reason is defense. Because the Angels are such prolific bunters and base stealers, Francona wants the quickest first baseman possible. Francona “thought about” starting Casey at first in the games Mike Lowell did not play. Ultimately, though, “I think having the more agile defense is very important because of the way they play the game,” Francona said.

  Francona was asked how he sees Casey contributing in this series.

  “I don’t know yet,” Francona said. “He could pinch hit. I’m just not real comfortable writing up our game plan. I don’t know that that gives us an advantage. He’s always ready. There were a couple situations where he had a bat and the situations didn’t unfold depending on who comes in. We can’t dictate who they’re going to pitch. But there are certain situations where he would be ready and certain situations where another one would be.

  “Last night, there was probably a couple situations where if something happened, he would have been a hitter. But again, some of that’s just, if you get deep into a game like that, it limits your options. Like last night, we hit for Cash, but we can’t hit Casey for Cash, because then you’re putting your slowest runner on to leadoff the inning, and we don’t have a runner.”

• Dustin Pedroia continued his disappointing playoffs, going 0 for 5 last night and extending his hitless streak in this series to 13 at-bats. Pedroia accepted full blame for last night's loss, but Francona remained unworried the second baseman and potential MVP is putting too much pressure on himself.

  "I don’t really hang my hat on quotes," Francona said. "I watch him everyday. I watch everybody. When he’s in the middle of hitting .400, and he makes an out, he’s pissed. That’s the way he is. He’s mad when he doesn’t come through. That’s what I see. He’s fine. He just gets mad when he doesn’t come through."

• Despite the seven innings pitched by the bullpen last night, Francona said everyone in the 'pen is available. Jonathan Papelbon, who has pitched four innings in three days, is still available, but he will not pitch two innings tonight, Francona said.

• No further update on Lowell at the moment. If and when there is, you will know.

To watch the pregame video with Terry Francona, click the "full entry" link below.