Notes: Beckett to skip scheduled Monday start

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By MaureenMullen
CSNNE.com

BOSTON -- After throwing 125 pitchesone shy of his career highover eight innings in a win against the Angels April 21, Josh Beckett was limited to six innings and 92 pitches April 27 in a loss to the Orioles. It appears that outing in Anaheim may have taken its toll on Beckett, whose next scheduled start wont be until Wednesday at the earliest.

His regularly scheduled start would have been Monday. Getting pushed to Wednesday will give him six days of rest instead of the usual four days.

Beckett will throw a side Monday, pitching coach Curt Young said. Make sure his bodys feeling good. Get through the side Monday and go from there. Physically, hes been doing everything thats necessary.

With Clay Buchholz under the weather Saturday and with Daisuke Matsuzaka abbreviating his outing Friday because of tightness in his right elbow, manager Terry Francona has been forced to juggle his rotation. Buchholz, who was scheduled to pitch Sunday has been pushed to Monday. He will be followed by Jon Lester. Beyond that is unknown.

We may take this opportunity to tweak our rotation a little bit, Francona said before Sundays game. Thats just kind of where were at. Put everybody in the best position possible. Well get to it.

Wednesday would have been Matsuzakas day to pitch . But with Jason Varitek now catching both Beckett and Matsuzaka, Francona may opt to separate the two pitchers so the 39-year-old Varitek is not catching on back-to-back days. That is, if both right-handers are good to go.

We may rearrange a little, Francona said. Well see. Thats why were kind of holding off a little.

The Angels have also rearranged their rotation. After getting swept by the Sox in a four-game series in Anaheim a little over a week ago, Angels manager Mike Scioscia will start Jered Weaver Monday night at Fenway. Weaver, the American League leader in wins at 6-0, was scratched from his scheduled start Sunday because of illness. The Sox managed to avoid Weaver, who also leads the AL in ERA at 0.99, in their previous series. Weaver is 2-4 with a 4.40 ERA in his career against the Sox. Weaver, who has pitched complete games in each of his last two starts, has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his six starts this season.

Ten of the Angels' 15 wins this season have come on the road.

Crawfords game-winning hit Sunday was the seventh walk-off hit of his career, and the Sox' first walk-off of the season.

Despite the win, the Sox were 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position, and are now 54-for-255 (.211) in such situations this season.

Only one guy can hit at a time. We have team stats. They are cumulative but its probably different every single at bat, every single time, Francona said before Sundays game. I know they all get shoved in there statistically but its pretty unique every at-bat. And there are times like last night, Adrian Gonzalez lined into a double play with the bases loaded and no outs. If that ball were a foot the other way, were saying great. Dustin Pedroia knifes the ball down the right field line and its this far foul. Sometimes you got to keep some things in perspective,. Thats why I talk about having a consistent approach because those things will even out. Therell be balls that hit fair, therell be balls that find holes.

Third baseman Kevin Youkilis was not in the starting lineupbecause of a jammed left hip, suffered during a slide in the first inningin Baltimore on Thursday.

Hes a little sore, Francona said. I think we thought that unless he wasreally feeling good, we were going to hold him out today . . . After talking to the trainers last night I think they allthought if we could give him a day today, it won't linger.

Maureen Mullen is on Twitter athttp:twitter.commaureenamullen

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