ALDS Sox Drawer: Roster, rotation, game times all set

Tim Wakefield's back keeps him off the roster for round one, Dice-K gets the start in Game 2, and best news of all--no day games!

Here's the schedule for the 2007 ALDS between Boston and the Angels.

GM1 Wednesday @ Boston 6:37EST
Lackey vs. Beckett

GM2 Friday @ Boston 8:37EST
Escobar vs. Matsuzaka

GM3 Sunday @ LA of A 3:07EST
Schilling vs. Weaver

IF NECESSARY:
GM 4 Mon @ LA 9:37EST
GM5 Wed @ BOS 8:37EST

The good news is that no games are scheduled for the early afternoon (great, no skipping work). The bad news is that Game 3, which will be started by Schill in order to give him extra rest, is Sunday at 3:07 EST, which puts it smack dab in the middle of the Pats game at Gillette against the Browns. Not like that game won't be a slaughter, especially by that time, but still, we Boston fans like to be able to enjoy both our beloved championship-caliber teams without any aggravating PIP crossovers involved.

The other big news out of the Boston camp was the announcement of the roster for the first round. Terry Francona gave the media the list of players who will be participating, and there was was one notable name that did not make the cut: 17-game winner Tim Wakefield.

Here is the entire roster:

Pitchers:

SP-Josh Beckett (R)
SP-Daisuke Matsuzaka (R)
SP-Curt Schilling (R)
CL-Jonathan Papelbon (R)
RP-Jon Lester (L)
RP-Eric Gagne (R)
RP-Hideki Okajima (L)
RP-Mike Timlin (R)
RP-Manny Delcarmen (R)
RP-Javier Lopez (L)

Starters:

C-Jason Varitek
1B-Kevin Youkilis
2B-Dustin Pedroia
SS-Julio Lugo
3B-Mike Lowell
RF-J.D. Drew
CF-Coco Crisp
LF-Manny Ramirez
DH-David Ortiz

Bench:

INF/OF-Eric Hinske
2B/SS-Alex Cora
OF-Jacoby Ellsbury
1B/OF-Bobby Kielty
C-Doug Mirabelli
C-Kevin Cash

Evidently the back injury that sidelined Wake for one start in early September, which led to fellow non-rostered player Clay Buchholz' no hitter, has flared up again, and coupled with the fact that Boston only needs three starting pitchers with the 8-day format, Wake's exclusion was understandable.

Still, the loss of a veteran of 17 postseason games who also won a career-high tying 17 games this season could come back to hurt Boston, especially if Matsuzaka or Schilling run into any early trouble in their starts. Sure Lester will fill that role, but a greenhorn over a steeled playoff veteran? Even with the memory of Aaron Bleepin' Boone lingering, I'd still take my chances with Wake over Lester.

Also, Julian Tavarez was left off thanks to a horrendous finish to the season in which he allowed 11 earned runs over his final 12 innings (8.25 ERA), including a 3H-3R-3IP stink bomb in the season finale on Sunday.

The other most notable thing about the roster is the fact that the Sox will carry three catchers, with Tito rationalizing that the extra backstop will be useful in pinch hit and late game substitution situations.

Obviously rookie spark plug Jacoby Ellsbury made the cut, and don't be surprised to see him enter very early in games depending on the score and situation. He's been to hot (hit in 23 of 26 games and batted .390 in September) and is too potent an offensive weapon not to have on the field, plus he will need to spell Manny late for defensive reasons with Manny's range still limited by his oblique injury.

The Angels also had some glaring omissions from their own roster, including overrated outfielder Garry Matthroids Jr. and always-injured starter Bartolo Colon. Matthroids has been battling patellar tendinitis in his left knee for weeks, while Colon has added an elbow injury to the lengthy list of health issues he's had in his career.

Good ole' Bartolo, the only opener you can count on him being available for is the grand opening of an In & Out Burger.

So the roster has been finalized, the rotation determined and the start times are in.

Now it's up to Josh Beckett and the Boston offense to start this series off right with a win tomorrow night, and hopefully by 3:07 on Sunday the Sox will own a 2-0 advantage, the Pats will be annihilating the Brownies 45-7, and Schill will be preparing for one more magnificent postseason performance.

Go Sox!