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Red Sox clinch, again.

BOSTON _ The Red Sox clinched the best record in baseball ltonight and will have home-field advantage throughout the postseason, including the World Series.

Following the Sox’ 6-4 victory tonight over the Minnesota Twins, and with Kansas City beating the Cleveland Indians, 4-3, Boston secured the top spot.

Boston informed the commissioner’s office that it has decided to start the ALDS against the Angels on Wednesday. That means the Sox’ Josh Beckett will start Game 1 and Curt Schilling will likely get the nod in Game 2 on Friday. Both games are at Fenway Park. Because Boston elected to start a day earlier, it’s possible Beckett could pitch Game 4 (if necessary) on Monday in Anaheim

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

FINAL: Boston 6, Minnesota 4

BOSTON -- Tonight felt more like a spring training game than the second-to-last contest of the regular season.

With the division title in hand, the Red Sox sent Tim Wakefield to the hill, and the veteran knuckleballer improved his record to 17-12, tying a career mark for wins in a season. He posted a 17-8 mark in 1998.

Last night he worked seven innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits with zero walks and one strikeout.

Boston trailed by two runs heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Sox pushed across four runs en route to a 6-4 victory over the Twins. The Sox' J.D. Drew provided a three-run homer in the seventh, along with Mike Lowell's second RBI of the game.

The Red Sox close out the regular season on Sunday against the Twins with Julian Tavarez on the hill for Boston.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 9:14 PM | Permalink

Schilling will not pitch Sunday

The Red Sox just announced that pitcher Curt Schilling will not make his scheduled start tomorrow in the regular-season finale against Minnesota. Julian Tavarez will get the nod instead.

Since the Sox clinched the division title on Friday, there's no need for Schilling to work on Sunday. That decision basically sets the Sox' rotation for the first two games of the ALDS against the Angels. It's likely Josh Beckett will start Game 1 either Wednesday or Thursday, and Schilling will get the ball in Game 2 on Friday. Both games are at Fenway Park.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 6:12 PM | Permalink

Manny, Just so you know . . .

Not everyone on the Red Sox was present and accounted for as the team celebrated their A.L. East title in the clubhouse and on the field in front of about 2,000 fans who stayed to watch the end of the Orioles' extra-inning victory over the Yankees that handed Boston the championship.

While some players -- notably Jason Varitek, David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis and Hideki Okajima -- returned to the scene after having dressed and left the ballpark after Boston's 5-2 win over the Twins, Manny Ramirez was nowhere to be seen.

"That's okay," joked manager Terry Francona. "I'll make sure (today) that Manny knows we won."

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

Pregame Notes, Sept. 29

-- Several members of the Sox' regular starting lineup are missing tonight, with manager Terry Francona more inclined to give them a rest since Boston clinched their first A.L. East division title since 1995 on Friday night.

David Ortiz, who has been red-hot at the plate lately, going 11 for 15 (.733) with three homers, four doubles, eight runs scored and five RBI over his last four games, "needs a day," said Francona at his daily press briefing. Ortiz has been battling a sore knee most of the season.

Shortstop Julio Lugo and second baseman Dustin Pedroia also are out of the starting lineup, replaced by Royce Clayton and Alex Cora, respectively, as Francona says he balances trying to win every game (the best record in the A.L. still is up for grabs; Boston is tied with Cleveland heading into tonight's action) with getting his players a little extra rest before the playoffs begin next week.

-- Coco Crisp, who missed the first four games of this homestand because of a virus, is back in the lineup in center field.

-- Manny Ramirez (sore quad) is serving as the designated hitter in Ortiz's absence. Jacoby Ellsbury, who had replaced Crisp in center the previous four games, takes over for Ramirez in left field.

-- Francona elected not to name his rotation for the first-round series against the Angels, saying he wanted to find out what days the teams will be playing. The first game either will be Wednesday or Thursday, depending upon the wishes of the team that finishes the season with the best record in the A.L. The second game will be played Friday.

-- Curt Schilling was modeling the latest in Red Sox motivational T-shirt this afternoon. It's a red shirt. On the front is written "Why Not Us Again" and on the back it reads "If 25 men believe they can . . . they will."

-- Hideki Okajima will pitch either today or in the regular-season finale.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:24 PM | Permalink

Starting Lineups, Sept. 29

BOSTON

Crisp cf
Cora 2b
Ramirez dh
Lowell 3b
Drew rf
Youkilis 1b
Ellsbury lf
Mirabelli c
Clayton ss

Wakefield p

MINNESOTA

Bartlett ss
Tyner lf
Mauer c
Hunter cf
Morneau 1b
Cuddyer rf
White dh
Buscher 3b
Rodriguez 2b

Silva p

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:20 PM | Permalink

The Red Sox are rock stars

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON _ The Boston Red Sox were partying like it was 1995.

It’s been 12 years since the club won the A.L. East Division title, and after the Sox officially clinched it last night, the players in the clubhouse begin to celebrate in hopes of another ending like 2004.

Manager Terry Francona was sitting in a leather recliner, smoking a cigar and truly, for once this season, he was actually enjoying the moment. Right then, one of the team’s batting practice pitchers, Matt Noone, approached him and Francona said: “You better get used to this.”

Red Sox GM Theo Epstein stood against the back wall of the clubhouse by himself, drinking a beer and smiling at what he his team has accomplished.

“Our players really wanted this,” he said. “We felt like we were the best team in the division, and it was good to go out and get it. I’m happy for our fans, because they deserve this too, they waited a long time.”

Closer and crazy man Jonathan Papelbon stood on a table wearing nothing but goggles, a T-shirt and a jock strap, spraying champagne all over the joint.

“This is awesome,” screamed Papelbon. “What we’ve got here in this clubhouse is unbelievable. God, it pays off when you work hard. This is where we wanted to do this.”

Red Sox utility man Eric Hinske was one of the first players to leave the clubhouse and join the celebration in the stands. The thousands of fans were remained went crazy, so he immediately ran back into the clubhouse and said to rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia: “You have to get out there. We’re like rock stars.”

Pedroia ran back into the clubhouse to grab a fresh bottle of champagne and started spraying it when he reached the field. Red Sox ace Curt Schilling, a three-time World Series veteran, stood on the top step of the dugout throwing cans of beer into the stands.

“It’s game time,” he said. “It’s October and that’s when great players play great, and hopefully we have a couple of those guys in this clubhouse.”

The always intense Kevin Youkilis had left the park to join his family at a local establishment, but when the Orioles tied the Yankees in the ninth inning to force extra innings before winning it in 10, Youk quickly made his way back to the clubhouse to be with his teammates and the fans.

“Let’s do this every year,” he said to owner John Henry.

“We knew if we played our kind of baseball all year we would end up here,” said Epstein.

Bring on the Angels.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 12:23 AM | Permalink | Comments 1