josh beckett

1. The Red Sox showed championship character in Game 6 (Recap | Box Score), just as they did in Game 5, only with more subtlety this time than staging the greatest elimination game comeback of all time.

Game 6 featured tremendous efforts by pitchers Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon to find a way to get people out with nothing close to their best stuff.

Daisuke Matsuzaka has been picked by the Boston Red Sox to open the AL championship series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The 18-game winner will start Friday night in St. Petersburg, Fla., and will be followed in the rotation by 2003 World Series MVP Josh Beckett.

Jon Lester, who pitched a no-hitter against Kansas City on May 19, starts Game 3 when the series moves to Fenway Park on Monday.

Tim Wakefield, Boston's 42-year-old knuckleballer, is to start Game 4.

Josh Beckett was scratched again from a scheduled start, and the Boston Red Sox ace plans to have his ailing right elbow examined by Dr.

James Andrews. Beckett is to see Dr. Andrews in Alabama on Friday, Red Sox manager Terry Francona said after Thursday's 3-2 loss to the New York Yankees.

A serious injury to Beckett would be a major blow to Boston, trying to repeat as World Series champions.