Beckett's woes not throwing Red Sox for a loop

It also says something about Lester. It says he can fill this postseason ace role pretty well.

"There's no question," said the scout who followed the Red Sox recently. "He's using both sides of the plate now, but his strength is still pounding the ball inside on right-handers. It's 92 on your fists, and even if you get the bat head on the ball, you can't keep it fair.

"And his command has been much better than it was. And when he gets ahead in the count, he dominates."

The Red Sox also have Daisuke Matsuzaka, who pitched so well in Game 1, and Tim Wakefield, who will start Game 4.

"I wouldn't be surprised to see Wakefield step up and throw seven scoreless innings," the scout said.

The point is the Red Sox might well win another world championship even if Beckett never wins another game this year. As shocking as it sounds, they might not need him.

This is a guy who came into 2008 with the third-lowest career postseason ERA of any pitcher with 70 or more innings -- 1.73, behind only Mariano Rivera and Christy Mathewson. This is a guy who had won five straight postseason starts coming into this month, with a 0.92 ERA in that span.

Now he's not right, and it doesn't matter?

Well, maybe it will matter. The Rays made this series a whole lot more interesting with their Saturday-night-into-Sunday-morning win, and they only need one win in three games at Fenway Park to send it back home to the crazy Trop.

But you wouldn't bet on that win coming in Game 3 on Monday. Not against Lester, who won all three starts against the Rays this year, and hasn't even allowed Tampa Bay to score a run in his past 12 innings against them.

And if the Rays can't beat Lester in Game 3, could they beat him in a Game 7? And if they have to win this ALCS without beating Lester, can they beat Matsuzaka and Wakefield and then beat Beckett again?

OK, so right now you might count on them beating Beckett, which tells you exactly how crazy this postseason has become. But it also, in a way, tells you how strong these Red Sox have become.

Josh Beckett might be as dominating a postseason starter as there ever has been. Now, for whatever reason, he can't do it.

Just like magic, the Red Sox have someone who looks like he can do it in Beckett's place.