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Pregame notes

-- Terry Francona said Curt Schilling will pitch Sunday regardless of what happens today. There had been speculation that if the Sox clinch a playoff spot today -- which could happen if Boston wins and Cleveland loses -- he would be held back to start a playoff opener on Tuesday.

-- If there is a playoff game Monday in New York, the starting pitcher will be Matt Clement on three days' rest.

-- If there is a subsequent playoff game Tuesday in Boston against the Indians (which could only happen if a) the season ends with the Red Sox, Yankees and Indians in a three-way tie and b) the Sox then lose the playoff game Monday in New York), the starting pitcher will be David Wells on three days' rest.

-- The playoff scenario is complex and many people (and media outlets) have been confused by the various permutations. But one falsehood seems to have taken root, and that's that a Red Sox-Indians playoff game would be at Jacobs Field. (I've seen it reported in several places, and heard it on TV.) That's not true. If the Red Sox and Indians have a playoff game, it will be at Fenway Park. The Red Sox won that coin flip to host the game.

-- One more clarification: If the Red Sox and Yankees finish tied for first in the A.L. East but with a better record than the Indians -- in other words, if one is guaranteed the division title and the other the wild card -- there will be NO playoff for the division championship. Baseball doesn't have a playoff game for seeding purposes, which is basically what that would be; it only has playoffs for cases in which the loser wouldn't qualify for postseason play. If the Sox and Yanks tie and the Indians are out, they go to a tie-breaker: Head-to-head record. And the Yankees will win the division in that case, since the only way Boston and New York could finish tied is if they split the next two games, in which case the Yankees will have a 10-9 edge in the season series.

Posted by Art  at 12:08 PM | Permalink