Resting Beckett Can Only Help

Very few players turn it on in the postseason like Josh Beckett.

No one seems particularly concerned about the back spasms that canceled Josh Beckett's start last night. Apparently, this kind of discomfort can happen to pitchers late in the season, but in this case, Beckett is feeling a twinge on his left side and not his right, which bodes well, since he's a righty.

I'm glad he's skipped a start if only for the rest. Beckett has never been an innings horse like Halladay or Sabathia. This season he's made every start up until last night and has logged over 200 innings for just the third time in his career--and yes, 2007 was one of those years.

So now he gets the extra rest and tunes up for the playoffs against Cleveland, probably the most disappointing team of the year. Between the time off and the six-man rotation, the Red Sox starters should not have any issues with fatigue which, we hope, will carry them deep into October.

Count on the Sox ending their four-game losing streak and clinching the Wild Card tonight as Clay Buchholz (7-3, 3.21) opposes Toronto's Ricky Romero (12-9 4.28) at Fenway.