If the Red Sox could draw up the perfect scenario, Josh Beckett would go 7-plus innings tonight, with Manny Delcarmen and Jonathan Papelbon finishing up (with maybe a little help from David Aardsma).

After 13 2/3 innings of relief the past two games, the bullpen is a tad tired. Here is their recent workload:

Javier Lopez: Saturday & Sunday (2 2/3 IP total)
Craig Hansen: Saturday & Sunday (2 2/3 IP total)
Hideki Okajima: Friday and Sunday (2 2/3 IP total)
Chris Smith: Saturday (4 IP)

Aardsma pitched 1 inning each on Friday and Saturday.
Delcarmen pitched 2/3 of an inning Sunday after 3 days rest.
Papelbon pitched 1 inning after 3 days rest.

So the above three should be ready. But what if Beckett runs into trouble early? It's not likely, but an injury or a rapidly-rising pitch count could knock Beckett out, and the Red Sox would not have anyone who could eat innings.

Boston could use Tim Wakefield (started last Friday), who is due to throw a bullpen session anyway ... or the Red Sox could use caution and call up someone from Pawtucket.

But the number of 40-man roster guys available in Pawtucket is slim: the one reliever is Lincoln Holdzkom and he pitched 2 1/3 innings on Sunday.

David Pauley started on Saturday, and Clay Buchholz on Friday (Buchholz is doubtful anyway, since the Red Sox likely want to keep him on schedule).

Devern Hansack started last Thursday, so he could be called up and be ready on three days' rest, if needed.

The other option is knuckleball pitcher Charlie Zink (8-2, 2.14 ERA), who is scheduled to start for Pawtucket. Zink would have to be put on the 40-man roster and someone taken off (Holdzkom?).

Bringing someone up would also mean Smith would be sent down ... that would be a shame since it would be nice to see how Smith fares over a few appearances. He gave up a home run Saturday, but his ERA (2.25) is still the second lowest on the staff, after Papelbon's 2.16.

Papelbon's blown save Sunday resulted in the 13 inning game, and over-shadowed the start by Jon Lester (7 1/3, 9 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K).

Lester has 11 straight starts of allowing 3 runs or less. The last Boston pitcher to do that was Pedro Martinez, who did it for 16 straight starts in 2003 and 2002.

Remember Lester's early struggles (4 runs in 4 of his first 7 starts)?

And did you hear about the extra-inning walk-off two-run homer ... by Jonathan Van Every?

While Youkilis hit his homer for Boston, Van Every's 10th inning blast gave Pawtucket an 8-6 win over Columbus and pitcher Mike Bacsik (recognize the name? Bacsik gave up Home Run No. 756 to Barry Bonds last year).

Pawtucket also got two homers from Jeff Bailey (now at 22) and one from George Kottaras (his 12th).

Edgar Martinez (5 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7K) started for Pawtucket. Like Portland's Kyle Jackson, Martinez is a former 40-man roster guy who is being moved from the bullpen to the rotation to re-start his career.

Jackson went 3 2/3 innings for Portland Sunday (3 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 K) when the game was stopped by rain).

Down in the rookie Gulf Coast League, 17-year-old third baseman Michael Almanzar is hitting .400 (6-for-15) in three games. Yes, 3 games is much too small a sampling, but Almanzar's potential is worth watching. If he gets on a prolonged hot streak, it will be interesting to see him in Lowell.

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