Red Sox Fishwrap: Surprising Playoff Rotation, ALDS Schedule, Manny speaks out

Just when you thought one of the best postseason playoff pitchers (say that 10 times fast) in recent memory was good to go for this Wednesday's opener against Los Angeles, things changed with the tweak of an oblique.

Josh Beckett - he of the 2007 dominance - suffered a right oblique injury during a 40-pitch side session on Friday, meaning he will now throw Game 3 in Boston on Sunday instead of Game 1 on Wednesday. Ugh. For Beckett, this is just another side note in a season that has gone worse than expected with various injuries and run support problems that left him with a 12-10 record and a 4.03 ERA.

So the comeback kid himself - Jon Lester - will get the call in Game 1 with his 16-6, 3.21 ERA, while Daisuke Matsuzaka (18-3, 2.90 ERA) takes the ball in Game 2. Not a bad way to start the series, but I think Boston was hoping to start Lester in Game 3 as he has been lights-out in Fenway Park all year. Regardless, if you asked most teams if they'd take two starters to open up the series who have 16 wins or more, I think they'd take it.

For Anaheim, Jon Lackey (12-5, 3.75) goes against Lester while Ervin Santana (16-7, 3.49) matches up against Dice-K. Joe Saunders (17-7, 3.41) will match up with Beckett.

-Here's the schedule for the ALDS. Get those coffee pots going...here we go again:

• Game 1: Wed., Oct. 1 at Anaheim, 10 p.m.
• Game 2: Fri., Oct. 3 @ Anaheim, 9:30 p.m.
• Game 3: Sun, Oct. 5 @ Boston, TBA
• Game 4: Mon., Oct. 6 @ Boston*, TBA
• Game 5: Wed., Oct. 8 @ Anaheim*, TBA

*if necessary

-Well, you knew this was only a matter of time. In a column printed by LA Times columnist TJ Simers, Manny Ramirez was very candid about his time in Boston, being complimentary of the fans but quite indemnifying against the media:

On not wanting to be a Red Sox player: "The first time I stepped foot in Boston, I said to myself, 'Whoa.' I told Pedro Martinez, 'Damn, man, I just want to get traded and get out of here; this place is not me.' I was unhappy for eight years in Boston but still put up great numbers."

Uhhh, ok. What about the expectation of winning?

"Baseball in Boston is like a Sunday football game, but played every day. We lose in L.A., I go to breakfast and people say, 'Well, you'll get them tomorrow.' In Boston, it's 'Hey, what's going on, the Yankees are coming.' It's just a different atmosphere. The fans in Boston got your back no matter what, but I'm talking about the people who write all this bull because it means so much to them. If your happiness depends on Boston winning or losing, you have to get a life."

That is interesting. Definitely check out the whole piece and then the follow-up where Manny discusses the incident from earlier this season with the Sox' traveling secretary that includes a funny story about apparently how cheap Greg Maddux is.

I expect the eventual Boston response to this to be as equally printable.

Josh Nason started Small White Ball in 2007 and is the main contributor of content for the site. A long-time writer, his work can also be read at sites like RopesRingandCage.com, EmailMarketingGuy.com and others. He also does radio appearances and was on TV once, albeit for a lame public television game show. He can be reached at josh@smallwhiteball.com.