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Red Sox Maintain Beckett Doesn't Have Tear

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By TONY FABRIZIO

afabrizio@tampatrib.com

Published: October 17, 2008

Updated: 10/17/2008 01:11 am

BOSTON - RHP Josh Beckett did not tear his oblique muscle in his final regular-season start as Tom Verducci reported on SI.com on Thursday, Red Sox manager Terry Francona said before Game 5.

"That's another one that's hard to answer because it didn't happen," Francona said. "When the media chooses to be not completely professional, we get put in a tough position. ... It's not the truth, so that's about the best I can do."

The Red Sox have maintained Beckett's side muscle is strained, not torn, and he hurt it in a side session the final week of the regular season. Beckett has said he isn't injured.

Beckett has not been his usual stalwart self this postseason.

He had a mediocre start against the Angels in the division series and allowed eight runs in 41/3 innings in Game 2 of the ALCS.

Beckett entered the division series with a career postseason ERA of 1.73. In two starts this postseason, his ERA is 11.57.

Speed Blunted

With lefty Scott Kazmir on the mound for the Rays, AL stolen-bases champion Jacoby Ellsbury was out of the lineup, and switch-hitter Coco Crisp was in the leadoff spot for the first time in the series.

The left-handed-hitting Ellsbury wasn't hitting anyway. He was 0-for-14 with a sacrifice-fly RBI in the series, and Francona started J.D. Drew over him in Game 4.

Tony Fabrizio

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