Beckett's woes not throwing Red Sox for a loop

BOSTON -- The nice thing about being the Red Sox is that when a Josh Beckett falters, a Jon Lester emerges.

The Red Sox will look to Jon Lester to continue his current hot stretch. (Getty Images)

Your postseason ace suddenly loses his magic? No problem, here's another one to take his place.

Yes, Beckett has been awful in his two postseason starts, and the Red Sox have lost both games. But after Beckett's first start turned into a 5½-hour loss to the Angels last week, the Red Sox bounced back to eliminate the Halos the very next day. And despite another 5½-hour Beckett-inspired loss on Saturday night at Tampa Bay, the Red Sox stand a very real chance of bouncing back to win Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Monday.

Lester followed Beckett last week, and pitched a gem. Lester follows Beckett this week, and you can almost figure on him pitching another one.

In the same postseason that has raised such questions about the 28-year-old Beckett -- "He's been awful," one scout said Sunday -- the 24-year-old Lester has made two starts and has yet to allow an earned run. Add in a clinching win over the Rockies in the 2007 World Series, and in three career postseason starts, Lester is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA.

It's almost. .. well, Beckett-like.

The only thing is Beckett is no longer Beckett-like. It's probably a little much to compare him to John (Way Back) Wasdin, as respected columnist Dan Shaughnessy did in Sunday's Boston Globe, but there is definitely something wrong.

Beckett threw 93 pitches Saturday night against the free-swinging Rays, and they swung through just four of them (and only one true fastball). Compare that to last October, when the Indians swung and missed 14 times against Beckett in one game.

Compare his velocity: 96-97 last year against the Tribe, one pitch at 94 and a whole bunch more at 92 against the Rays.

Beckett can say he's not hurt, as he did once again after Game 2. Hurt or not, something's wrong.

"Everything's flat," the scout said. "His breaking ball's rolling. He's just not the same pitcher."

It's a significant issue for the Red Sox, because now that this American League Championship Series is tied at one win apiece, a Game 6 on Saturday night at Tropicana Field is looking pretty likely. And as of now, Beckett would be Boston's scheduled starter.

It says something about Beckett (2008 version) that Boston columnists are already suggesting Lester as a possible Game 6 starter (which he could do on normal rest).