With the Red Sox deciding to begin the playoffs Wednesday, they will only need three starters - Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling and Daisuke Matsuzaka.

So how many pitchers will Boston put on the playoff roster? Surely, Tim Wakefield will go to the bullpen as the use-whenever-needed guy.

And with Julian Tavarez subbing for Curt Schilling today, does that give a hint about the rotation (is Schilling the No. 2 starter ... and is Tavarez not going to be needed in the playoffs?)

Before we get into today's lineup, the Red Sox have annnounced a change for Sunday. Julian Tavarez will start in place of Curt Schilling. The Red Sox made a point of saying that Schilling is not hurt. Sounds like he is resting for the playoffs.

Concerning tonight's game: David Ortiz, Julio Lugo and Dustin Pedroia have the night off. Coco Crisp is back from a virus.

Here is the lineup:

The champagne flowed. It was actually sprayed, with healthy doses poured over heads. There was also beer and cigar smoke. The party celebrated a title (note the small t).

The Red Sox are the champions (note the small c).

Red Sox manager Terry Francona annnounced that pitcher Clay Buchholz "is not going to pitch out of the bullpen or start the rest of the year."

Francona said Buchholz was not injured and he did not throw too many innings, but routine strength and mobility testing caused concern.

"There is fatigue," Francona said. "With fatigue, there is some lacking in strength.

"Innings-wise, he's fine. But we have to do the right thing. We don't send people out when we have concerns."

I'll try to have more on Buchholz later.

And now for the Red Sox lineup:

Boston will try again to clinch the division title tonight. The AL playoffs could be set IF Boston wins, New York loses and either the Indians win or Angels lose.

Besides the division title, the focus tonight is on Daisuke Matsuzaka. Is this guys going to be worth of a No. 2 starter's role? In his last seven starts, he has averaged 5 innings and 5 earned runs.

Heading into the final homestand, here are the September numbers for Boston's top starters:

Josh Beckett 4-0, 2.25 ERA
Curt Schilling 0-2, 3.66
Daisuke Matsuzaka 1-1, 9.74
Tim Wakefield 0-2, 10.70
Jon Lester 2-0, 2.70
Clay Buchholz, 2-1, 0.54

AJ Burnett was a late scratch for the Toronto Blue Jays because of personal reasons, but Jesse Litch filled in nicely, in Toronto's 4-1 win over the Yankees Monday afternoon in the Bronx.

The loss drops New York two games behind Boston. Both teams have six games remaining. The Red Sox magic number is FIVE.

The Red Sox have today off (although some of the fellas will reportedly be taking batting practice at Fenway; namely the sore Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis).

While they wait for those two to get healthy, Boston also will wait to see if its lead in the AL East is cut to one game, or expanded to two. The New York Yankees take on the Blue Jays this afternoon.

Expected starter Roger Clemens has again been pushed back because of a sore hamstring.

The race is on. I've listed below the standings and the remaining games for the Red Sox, Yankees, Indians and Angels.

But this week is all about gravy, pride and home-field advantage for the Red Sox. They are already in the playoffs.

Boston can win the division (gravy and pride). It leads New York by 2 1/2 games. The magic number is six.

And the Red Sox can have home field advantage for the playoffs.

After one long night, Red Sox fans can exhale a bit, thanks to Josh Beckett and Gregg Zaun.

With Beckett picking up his 20th win Friday night, and Zaun, the Blue Jays catcher, hitting a home run in the 14th inning at Yankee Stadium, Boston is back up by 2 1/2 games in the American League East.

The magic number, stuck at 9 for four days, is now 7. The Red Sox have 8 games to go, the Yankees 9 (the extra one is Monday vs. Toronto).

Angst. It has always been a favorite word to describe the Boston Red Sox baseball fan.

There is also the term "long-suffering." (Of course, we always have to remind ourselves that the sufferig is experienced is in the sports world, not the real one, than Goodness).

But, dear Red Sox fans, why not enjoy the next 10 days?

There are plenty of reasons not to panic if you are a Boston Red Sox fans. But there is one reason to become upset, and it has little to do with the loss Wednesday night.

Regarding the loss, there is concern.

Regarding Julio Lugo's lack of hustle until it was too late, there is ... what shall we call it, disappointment, frustration, anger?

Clay Buchholz is going to start Wednesday's Red Sox game at Toronto, his first start since throwing his no-hitter Spet. 1.

Some comments after the Red Sox-Yankees game Sunday:

As promised, here is an abbreviated transcript from Terry Francona's pre-game session with the media, plus the Yankees lineup (Podada DH, Giambi on bench)

Francona:
(On rotation the next three days). "Wake, Lester and TBA. At some point, we need to maneuver our staff as we go forward. We may want to do that Wednesday."

The Red Sox lineup is in and Jacoby Ellsbury is leading off.

Kevin Youkilis is out, his wrist still sore from being hit by a pitch Saturday.

Terry Francona spoke about a lot of things in his pre-game press conference, incuding some possible tinkering with the rotation next week, setting up for the playoffs (Wednesday's starter should be Daisuke Matsuzaka, but is currently listed as TBA).

Will blog soon on all that. Here's the Sox lineup:

Are you ready with the TV clicker tonight?

From Patroits to Red Sox. Back & Forth

The pregame shows will be predictable. Before the Patriots, we will again hear all about Bill Belichick's videotaping ability. Before the Red Sox, it will be Roger Clemens vs. Curt Schilling. A duel of veterans.

Wonder what kind of reception Clemens will get at Fenway Park?

The lineups have been posted for today's game.

The Red Sox used to have more success against Chien-Ming Wang, but he has matured as a pitcher, Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. Wang used to rely soley on his sinker. "At one time, he threw 21 straight two-seamers," Francona said of a game in a previous season.

Now Wang mixes in breaking balls and change-ups. "He's won 18 games. It's not a fluke," Francona said.

Here are the lineups:

Exhausting. The game lasted nearly 5 hours, and featured such a turnaround, from a 7-2 Boston lead, to an 8-7 Yankees win.

The lead in the AL East is 5 1/2 games. The magic number remains at 11.

Here are some of Joe Torre's post-game comments:

They just announced that Jacoby Ellsbury is replacing Coco Crisp in the lineup because Crisp has "soreness" in his left hip.

See the prevoius blog for the lineup.

The Red Sox lineup is posted for tonight, and Manny Ramirez is still not in it.

Boston manager Terry Francona said that is not a surprise: "He came out (Thursday) and hit the ball well. But he's not ready to play ... He hits the ball off the wall and everyone thinks he should be playing."

Francona said even though Ramirez can hit them out in batting practice, his strained oblique muscle is still tender. "Maybe by the beginning of the week," he said of a return.

Here's the lineup:

How many times have we heard it. In baseball, your momentum is only as good as the next day's starting pitcher.

So what is Daisuke Matsuzaka to do against the Yankees tonight?

With his buddy, Manny Ramirez, still out of the lineup (and with another meat-of-the-order batter, Mike Lowell, sick on Wednesday), David Ortiz did what the Red Sox so dearly need him to do: come through in the clutch.

While mentioning Lowell and Ellsbury were out, I did not bother bringing up the name of Manny Ramirez, out since Aug. 28 with a strained oblique

Ramirez may not be out for much longer. He is taking batting practice right now. After two rounds of hitting, he appeared to be swinging easy, although he did hit one to the track in center field.

In his third round of hitting, Manny started hitting them out ... maybe in time for the Yankees?

Greetings from Fenway. Tonight's Red Sox lineup will be without Mike Lowell (sick) and Jacoby Ellsbury (sore wrist).

Terry Francona thinks it is something Lowell ate. "Let him get it out of his system and be ready Friday (Hmm, who are the Red Sox playing on Friday?). Eric Hinkse gets the start, instead.

Ellsbury slightly hurt his wrist when he banged against the Monster Monday night. He is out today just a precaution Brandon Moss will start in his place.

Jon Lester and the Sox face Edwin Jackson and the Devil Rays and there is the potential for 10 walks between them before the sixth inning.

Both pitchers have command issues, although Lester looked good the last time out (7 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 0 R).

Didn't I warn you about those Devil Rays? They are a hungry team (see link below).

When Scott Kazmir deals like he did on Monday, how much do the Mets keep on cringing at one of the worst-ever trades.

Overlooked in the Red Sox 1-0 loss was the performance of Curt Schilling. That was a comfort, considering the Matsuzaka implosion.

I am from the Tampa Bay area and, therefore, used to covering bad teams. I remember those early days of the Tampa Bay Bucs. They would go through horrible seasons and, sometimes, finish strong, creating optimism for next year.

With that said, the Red Sox need to be aware of the carefree Tampa Bay Devil Rays today through Wednesday. Since Boston won 2-of-3 in St. Petersburg Aug. 20-22, the Devil Rays have won the five series they have played, including 2-of-3 in New York, and have gone 12-5.

My son (the college boy at Loyola) called from Camden Yards last night, excited. He just saw his first David Ortiz home run in person.

Then he called back in the third inning. He got to witness the Daisuke Matsuzaka meltdown up close.

Oh well, at least he gets to watch Beckett today.

But what to do with Dice-K?

Daisuke Matsuzaka pitches tonight at Camden Yards and if ever a pitcher needed to face the Baltimore Orioles, it is Dice-K. The Orioles are in collapse mode, and Matsuzaka could use a dominating start after throwing clunkers in three of his last four outings (18 earned runs in 17 and 2/3 innings).

Memo to Red Sox Department of Player Projections (cc: Bill James):
Whatever secret formula you used to project that J.D. Drew would be a smash at Fenway Park (let alone worth a five year, $70-million contract), can you take another look.

Maybe someone did not get the math right, moved a decimal over or something.

Something to think about while waiting for the Sea Dogs to start the playoffs, Clay Buchholz to come out of the bullpen, and the Red Sox decision about Jacoby Ellsbury once Manny Ramirez returns.

Driving back from the Sea Dogs' downer in New Britain, I listened to the Red Sox on the radio Monday night. When it was 10-1 I almost went to the tape player ... oops.

Oh well, Red Sox fans, a win is a win. Boston leads the Yankees by seven and, with 24 games to play, their magic number is 18 (the combined # of Red Sox wins and Yankee losses for Boston to clinch.

After losing five straight games, the Portland Sea Dogs get one more chance to reach the playoffs, when they play a home game Tuesday night at 6, at Hadlock Field, against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Tickets are on sale between 6-9 tonight at the Hadlock ticket office, and again at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

On Monday, New Britain beat Portland 11-7, while New Hampshire lost to Trenton, 8-6. It was the Fisher Cats' third straight loss.

Somebody will have to win Tuesday night.

I don't know who will be done sooner this year: Clay Buchholz or the Portland Sea Dogs.

Both should be going for a whle longer, but the Red Sox seem firm in their resolve to limit Buchholz's innings, and the Dogs seem determined to self-destruct.

The buzz continues about Clay Buchholz. In Boston, reports are that Terry Francona and Theo Epstein are still talking about what to do with him.

The D-word (Development) is being thrown around, meaning they are not going to over-use the latest whiz kid. But maybe there can be a bullpen role for him in the playoffs. How can you leave that arm off the roster?

Fun night to keep track of three games. Watched the Sea Dogs live, followed the Fisher Cats on the internet, and kept sneaking peaks of Clay Buchholz on TV, pitching against Baltimore.

You surely know about Buchholz's no-hitter. As for the Sea Dogs, they lost. But so did the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. That makes Portland's magic number to rwach the playoffs down to 3.

I'm sure I'll be blogging more on Buchholz, but here's a question:

Below is the official Red Sox press release, adding 6 players from Pawtucket: Clay Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury, Craig Breslow, Brandon Moss, Royce Clayton and Bryan Corey.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays stifled the Yankees with their rookie pitcher - former Sanford Mainer Andy Sonnanstine.

Now the Yankees and Red Sox, those two teams loaded with high-price veteran talent, rely on their rookie pitchers today.