Lester is the choice for Game 1
Jon Lester will start Game 1 of theWorld Series Wednesday night for the Red Sox. But manager John
Farrell held off on naming the rest of his rotation Monday.
John Lackey is expected to start Game 2 Thursday with
Clay Buchholz and Jake Peavy to follow when the series shifts to St. Louis.
“We’re still going through it,” Farrell said before the Sox worked out at Fenway Park. “We’ve got a good portion of [Tuesday] to spend internally and go over the Cardinals and all the information that’s attached to that.”
Lester is 2-1 with a 2.33 earned run average in three starts this postseason. He has a 2.49 ERA in 11 postseason appearances in his career.
Lester has one game of World Series experience. He started and won Game 4 in 2007 against the Colorado Rockies, throwing 5„ shutout innings.
“He knows himself better. He knows what his checkpoints are, he knows where his strengths lie,” Farrell said. “More importantly I think he can trust himself.”
Farrell said Lester once locked in on what opposing teams were trying to do. Now he has faith in his ability to adjust during games.
David Ross caught Lester’s last two starts.
“The approach we’ve taken with David Ross catching Jon Lester, I don’t want to assume anything down in the clubhouse yet,” said Farrell. “We’ll announce that after I have a chance to speak to those guys.”
Lester will meet with reporters Tuesday. The Cardinals will start Adam Wainwright in Game 1. Manager Mike Matheny also is expected to name the rest of his rotation Tuesday.
Nava waits his turn
Daniel Nava started 121 games for the Red Sox during the regular season. But he has been in the lineup for only four of the 10 postseason games.
Farrell now favors Jonny Gomes in left field, even against righthanded pitchers.
It doesn’t sound like that will change, either.
“We haven’t made out Wednesday’s lineup yet. But can’t go away from maybe a little bit of momentum that a certain lineup has provided for us,” Farrell said. “Daniel Nava’s certainly not forgotten. Nor is any guy.”
Nava hit .303 in the regular season. His .831 OPS was third among all American League outfielders. Nava also hit .322 with an .894 OPS against righthanded pitchers.
The Cardinals have all righthanded starters. But if Farrell sticks with Gomes, Nava said he would understand.
“I knew that going into the playoffs anything could happen,” he said. “They made us very aware of that. They weren’t going off stats; they were starting fresh. I don’t know everything that goes into that decision.
“They said, ‘Hey, you’ll get your shot, so be ready.’ So I’ll be ready. I’ve tried to do what I could in my at-bats.”
Nava said the topic doesn’t come up in the clubhouse.
“There’s no bickering or backstabbing. We’re here to win. If not, we wouldn’t be here, and there would be problems. You can’t get to the World Series with problems like that,” he said. “I know the opportunities will come, I just don’t know when.
“We were in last place last season and now we’re in the World Series and I’m on the roster. I can’t complain about that.”
Roster changes?
Farrell was quick to announce before the ALCS that the 25-man roster wouldn’t change from the Division Series. But that was not the case this time.
“We haven’t gotten into that specifically,” Farrell said. “We’re still in the process of familiarizing ourselves with the Cardinals. If there’s any need to make an adjustment, we’ll take a look at that as we go forward.”
If there is a change, it could come in the bullpen. Lefthander Franklin Morales has faced nine batters in the postseason and put five of them on base. He has thrown 19 of 34 pitches for strikes. Lefthander Matt Thornton hasn’t appeared in a game since Sept. 29 but he has been throwing in the bullpen to stay sharp.
“I feel fine,” Morales said. “I know I can pitch better than I did.”
As of Monday, Morales had not been told anything about his roster status. Thornton is still with the team.
Pack a glove
David Ortiz started six games at first base this season in interleague play and will dust off his glove for the World Series. Games 3 and 4 will be in St. Louis along with a possible Game 5.
“How many days he’ll play in those three games there remains to be seen,” Farrell said. “It is different for us. Personally, when we go into National League ballparks I think we’re at a greater disadvantage than the reverse when the National League teams come in here.
“I rely so heavily on [assistant coaches Torey Lovullo and Brian Butterfield] to make guys aware of moves being made. The in-dugout communication becomes that much more.”
Ortiz is 3 for 19 (.158) as a first baseman this season with two extra-base hits and three RBIs. He hit .314 as a designated hitter.
Respect for Leyland
The news that Detroit manager Jim Leyland was retiring caught Farrell by surprise.
“Very surprised,” he said. “I had sent him a text [Sunday] morning just to congratulate he and the organization on not only a great team [but] a great year. Expressed the respect that we have for him and certainly personally have for him for all the success he had in his career.
“To see the announcement and to listen to him [saying] that early September this was very clear in his mind, that was very surprising.”
Red Sox outfielder Quintin Berry played for Leyland in 2012, including in the postseason.
“A lot of respect for the man,” he said. “I thought he was a good manager and he was good to me when I was there.”
Old friends
Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks and Cardinals righthander Michael Wacha grew up in Texarkana, Texas. Their high schools were rivals and the two played together on summer-league teams for two years.
“Our families know each other and we’ve kept in touch on and off during the season,” Middlebrooks said. “He’s a good guy and I’m happy for him.”
Wacha, 22, was a firstround draft pick in 2012 out of Texas A&M. He made his major league debut in May and was 4-1 with a 2.78 ERA in the regular season.
In three postseason starts he is 3-0, 0.43.
Chances are
The Red Sox are 6-5 favorites to win the Series, according to the Bovada online gambling website. Ortiz is a 15-2 choice as series MVP with Dustin Pedroia 8-1. One of the proposition bets is how many times Shane Victorino will be hit by a pitch. More than one time is even money, no surprise given that Victorino has been hit six times in the postseason already . . . Stephen Drew, 3 for 35 in the postseason, stayed on the field for extra batting practice after the workout. His son, Hank, was watching along with his father, David ... Mary J. Blige, a native of the Bronx, will perform the national anthem before Game 1, according to Major League Baseball. Blige previously performed the anthem at Yankee Stadium during the 2009World Series . . . In an example of overeager product placement, six bottles of a sports energy drink were placed on the table before Farrell spoke in the interview room . . . Saturday’s crowd of 38,823 for Game 6 of the ALCS was the largest at Fenway Park since 39,067 caught a Division Series game against the Angels on Oct. 5, 2008 . . . Team chairman Tom Werner was on the field to watch the Sox workout . . . The Cardinals arrived in Boston Monday night. They will work out at Fenway Tuesday along with the Sox.