Beckett On Hill, But Who's Behind The Plate?
BOSTON (CBS) – The Red Sox know Josh Beckett will be on the hill Monday night when they start their final series of the regular season in Baltimore.
The only question is, who will be behind the plate?
Jason Varitek has caught 28 of Beckett's 29 starts this season, but was hit by a pitch in the knee during Game Two of Sunday's double header against the Yankees. The captain's availability for Monday night is up in the air.
"He got hit pretty hard," manager Terry Francona said after the 14-inning 7-4 win. "He's sore; we'll see how he bounces back."
Read: "It's Grinding Season" For Red Sox
Varitek was much more confident than Francona after the game.
"It'll be alright. We'll see," said the Sox captain.
If needed, Jarrod Saltalamacchia will catch Beckett. Varitek, who was hit in the right knee in the fifth inning, left after hitting a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh. Saltalamacchia, who caught eight innings in Game One, finished off the extra innings affair giving him 16 innings behind the plate on Sunday.
"He can rest later," Francona joked Sunday night.
Saltalamacchia has only caught Beckett once this season; his first start of the year in Cleveland. Beckett allowed three runs on five hits while walking five in five innings of work that game, a 3-1 Red Sox loss.
Roche Blog: Renewed Optimism
Not having his "personal catcher" will give him another hurdle against a team that has already hit Beckett harder than anyone else this season. The Orioles have tagged the Sox righty for 13 earned runs in 18 1/3 innings of work. Baltimore is batting .288 off Beckett, who gave up seven runs over 7.1 innings last week against the O's.
But if there is ever a time for Beckett to stop worrying or complaining about who is behind the plate, Monday night is it.
With a one-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays, the Red Sox magic number to clinch the AL Wild Card is three.
