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Playoff-bound Red Sox to face Indians

Sep 24, 2008 - 10:10 AM Cleveland (79-78) at Boston (92-65) 7:05 p.m. EDT

BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Boston Red Sox have clinched their fifth trip to the playoffs in the last six years. Now they will look to build momentum on their way to the postseason.

The Red Sox (92-65) have an outside shot at catching the Tampa Bay Rays (95-62) for the American League East title, but are probably more concerned with making sure all of their players are healthy for October.

Boston defeated the Cleveland Indians, 5-4, on Tuesday to clinch, setting off a celebration at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox reached this point despite a serious wrist injury to star David Ortiz, multiple stints on the disabled list for stalwart Mike Lowell, a subpar seasons from ace Josh Beckett and catcher Jason Varitek, and a major midseason drama that saw disgruntled cleanup hitter Manny Ramirez traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"We've been through a lot of ups and downs and injuries," Ortiz said. "I missed two months myself. So we had to come back from injuries and things like that, we had a lot of guys go through it. But we've made it to the playoffs and we'll do it once again."

Paul Byrd (11-12, 4.53 ERA) will get the start for the Red Sox, making his first appearance against his old team. The Indians traded the veteran righthander to Boston in August in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Byrd has filled in ably in the Red Sox's rotation, going 4-2 with a 4.50 ERA in seven starts.

Cleveland will counter with righthander Fausto Carmona (8-7, 5.19), who was recently handed a six-game suspension by Major League Baseball for his role in a brawl with the Detroit Tigers over the weekend. He is appealing the punishment.

The 24-year-old Carmona, who missed over two months earlier in the season with a hip injury, has been terrible in his last three starts, going 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA. He allowed 11 runs in six innings against Boston in the American League Championship Series last season.