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We take a look behind the whiskers that have brought the Red Sox together and into the playoffs.

BOSTON -- After 162 games, a division title and a complete turnaround from a 69-93 season in 2012, the Red Sox returned to Fenway Park on Tuesday for the first of three workout days leading up to Friday afternoon’s start of the American League Division Series against the winner of Wednesday’s wild-card game.

With four off-days between the team’s last game of the regular season on Sunday and Friday’s playoff opener, the main task at hand for the Sox this week will be preparation and maintaining focus, something manager John Farrell made clear during his first postseason press conference Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s a chance for our players that are dealing with some things from a physical standpoint to get ahead of them as best as possible and get everybody primed and ready to go for Friday,” Farrell said of the week’s planned workouts.

However, when asked if any single moment this season stuck out to him, Farrell broke from his usual look-ahead-to-the-next-game demeanor to provide a heartfelt answer that resonates with the personality that the city of Boston has taken on following the Marathon bombings in April.

“The one moment that stands out in my mind is standing during the moment of silence in Cleveland following the bombing,” Farrell said. “Whether that was the galvanizing moment for this team, I can’t say that, but it was a moment in time where guys showed a different side of them that this was a special group. What the performance was going to be, the total number of wins achieved, we didn’t know, but there was a characteristic that showed through in that moment that was special.”

This Red Sox team undeniably has embraced the city since that day as the players roamed their clubhouse on Tuesday sporting their usual variety of “Boston Strong” T-shirts and the grass in center field at Fenway was cut to display a “B Strong” logo, which has been a fixture of the park’s Green Monster since the team’s April 20 return to Boston following the attacks.

“You play for the city that you represent. We represent the Red Sox, we represent Boston,” outfielder Jonny Gomes said. “I don’t think it’s really a win-loss record that determines that Boston Strong that was built. I think it was almost kind of like a lifestyle and the way you go about things. Fortunately for us, we’re continuing to represent that.”

Here are a couple of other takeaways from the clubhouse as the Red Sox completed their first day of workouts:

* When asked what team they would prefer to face in the ALDS, Gomes, second baseman Dustin Pedroia and several other Red Sox players said they had no preference whether the Cleveland Indians or the Tampa Bay Rays come to Fenway on Friday.

“We’re just waiting to see who we play,” Pedroia said. “Every team that’s in the playoffs has a quality team.”

* Although Farrell has yet to confirm his ALDS rotation, the speculation that left-hander Jon Lester will take the mound for Game 1 was prevalent in the clubhouse as players were asked to offer up their opinions on the 29-year-old.

“He’s one of the top lefties in the American League, one of the top lefties in baseball,” Gomes said. “When he’s on, he’s one of the hardest in the game.”

“He’s been our Opening Day starter the past few years and he’s been a guy I think we’ve leaned on,” Jarrod Saltalamacchia said. “I think that’s one of those things, as a catcher, you’re proud of. You’re happy for those guys. You see them put so much work in, you see them succeed like that, there’s no better feeling.”

BOSTON -- Red Sox manager John Farrell said he will wait until after Wednesday’s workout to announce his starter for Game 1 of the AL Division Series Friday at Fenway Park.

But Farrell acknowledged that Clay Buchholz and Jake Peavy are scheduled to throw in Wednesday’s intrasquad game, which was tantamount to confirming that Jon Lester and John Lackey will be pitching the first two games of the series.

All signs point to Lester pitching Friday’s opener, especially given his strong second half (7-2, 2.57 ERA; 3-0, 2.57 ERA in September).

“We’ll have Jake and Clay get multiple innings on the mound tomorrow, so you can deduct from that what you wish,’’ Farrell said. “But at the same time we feel like, with the number of days off, we’ve got to get a good portion of our relievers to the mound as well.”

Roster decisions, or at least the public announcement of same, will not come until after Farrell and his staff meet with baseball operations personnel Thursday morning, by which time the identity of the Red Sox’s first-round opponent will be known. Tampa Bay is playing in Cleveland Wednesday night in the wild-card game.

Farrell said four players who are not under consideration for a roster spot have been sent home: second baseman Brock Holt, and pitchers Brayan Villareal, Allen Webster and Stephen Wright.

***

One major league scout following the Red Sox last weekend speculated that the club might carry Ryan Lavarnway as a third catcher, which would give Farrell more flexibility to pinch hit for a catcher late in the game. Without a third catcher, pinch-hitting for a catcher becomes riskier because your one eligible catcher could get hurt and leave you exposed.

Farrell said at this stage, even though Mike Napoli has catching experience, the team probably would not consider him for use behind the plate.

***

Wednesday’s workout will be open to the public, with gates opening at 2. Concessions will be sold. Farrell said the team will have an umpire behind the plate, and the game will last as long as needed to get pitchers their required work. He said he doubted it would go nine innings.

“There are going to be some guys that will probably elect not to face our own pitchers,’’ he said. “Again, the more we can either get them on the field and read some balls off the bat in as live a game situation as we can, that’s part of getting everything back to game speed.”

***

If Farrell is concerned about the team’s setup situation, which others have pinpointed as a potential weak link, he isn’t showing it.

“We have the ability to match up, to bridge from whoever the starter is that given night to Koji [Uehera] closing things out,’’ he said. “We’ve got options, guys that have been very dependable, they’ve been durable, whether that’s been [Craig Breslow], whether that’s been Junichi [Tazawa], who’s done a very good job for us. At times there has been some challenging moments for him.

“The emergence of Brandon Workman [who] was encouraging his last outing in Baltimore, coming off the outing over in Denver. We feel like we’ve got ample options to go to. Franklin Morales’s last six weeks of the season have been very encouraging, and then we put some veteran presence back there with Ryan Dempster in that role as well.

“Koji’s abilities have finally been highlighted because of the role he’s in. He’s been a very good pitcher his entire pro career, both in Japan and here, and to see the efficiency in which he pitches, he’s having an outstanding year for us and we’ll need it to go forward.”

***

Farrell said he sent a congratulatory text to Indians manager Terry Francona, for whom he had served as pitching coach for four seasons of Francona’s tenure in Boston (2007 to 2010).

“It’s been minimal,’’ Farrell said of his interaction with Francona. “[That] doesn’t mean we don’t follow it close. They’re on a very good run. Very good run.”

Farrell had also served in a number of front-office positions with the Indians. Asked what it means for the Indians to return to the playoffs after a five-year absence, Farrell said, “There’s a lot of quality and talented people over there. To see it come together with a chance to advance after tomorrow night, because you have past experiences with many people, you want the best for them.

“There would be an incredible amount of side stories if we do meet up with them in the division series. In some ways it’s reminiscent of the ALCS in ’07. There’s so much crossover that still exists between people that have worked, either starting in Cleveland and then coming here, and now it’s in some ways reversed, with Tito going back there and leading their team. Hopefully we’ve got a chance to meet up.”

***

With game times of 3:07 and 5:37 p.m. for the first two games, shadows will come into play, although by 4 p.m. Tuesday, both the mound and home plate were in shadows. “There will be shadows the first couple innings (Saturday),’’ Farrell said, “but given the time of year, the sun goes down pretty quick.’’ Sunset Saturday is projected for 6:18 p.m. ... This season’s team was the first Red Sox team since 1903 to go an entire season without losing more than three games in a row. They lost three in a row five times, but only once after the All-Star break (Aug. 14-16). ... David Ortiz is the only player left from the 2004 World Series champions. Ortiz, Lester, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury are the only players left from the ’07 champs.

The Red Sox mowed a "Boston Strong" message in the Fenway Park outfuield for the ALDS.

In the days leading to the ALDS, we’ll ask five people -- our four Red Sox pundits and one reader -- to answer five questions about this surprisingly successful Red Sox team.

Today’s question: Which team would you rather see the Red Sox face in the ALDS, the Rays or Indians?

• Gordon Edes: Indians

Terry Francona’s Indians lost 6 of 7 to the Red Sox in the regular season, were 36-52 against teams .500 or better, and have a closer crisis. Who wouldn’t want to face them instead of the Rays, who have formidable starting pitching and a more productive lineup than in the past? The Tito magic has to run out eventually ... doesn’t it?

• Joe McDonald: Rays

Both the Indians and the Rays are dangerous teams. Let’s start with Cleveland. Like the Red Sox, the Indians are built on character and talent. They’re feeling good about their game right now, finishing the season with 10 straight wins. The Rays, on the other hand, have always found a way to play well against the Red Sox. In the 2008 ALCS, for example, Boston had a better team but Tampa won that series in seven games. This season, Boston posted a 12-7 record against its AL East rival. If forced to choose, I think the Red Sox have a better chance of advancing to the ALCS if they play the Rays.

• Tony Lee: Rays

The general consensus suggests that avoiding the Tampa Bay Rays and their quality starting pitching would be the best-case scenario for the Red Sox.
However, even with David Price, Matt Moore and Alex Cobb, it is a team that has played .500 ball for two months and possesses a marginal offense that averaged 3.0 runs per game in going 7-12 against the Sox.

Also, Price used up 118 more bullets Monday night at Texas, Cobb will be used Wednesday in a do-or-die start in Cleveland and Moore, your Game 1 starter in an ALDS, limped to the finish line with a run of short starts filled with control problems that belie an otherwise solid ERA (20 walks and 26 hits in 29 innings since returning from an elbow injury last month).

The vibe is unique with Terry Francona’s bunch and Boston has not seen the Indians since May, when Cleveland was struggling to stay above .500.

In Maddon’s crew the Red Sox would find a familiar opponent playing in its fourth city in six days on the tail end of an up-and-down stretch run.

Given all that, I’d take my chances with Tampa Bay.

• Kyle Brasseur: Rays

As dangerous as we all know the Rays to be, they have several things going against them already heading into this week. First is a brutal schedule that, with a win over Cleveland on Wednesday, would take the team from Toronto to Texas to Cleveland to Boston in a span of five days.

Then you have the offensive woes of the past two postseason trips for the Rays, which saw them hit .236 as a team in 2011 and .215 in 2010, both the lowest totals among American League postseason teams in their respective years. Their .215 batting average in 2010 was the lowest for an AL postseason team that played five or more games since the Oakland Athletics in 2003 (.213).

And finally, there’s the reality of playing the Indians who, at 21-6, had the best record in the league for the month of September. Fun fact: The last four teams to have the best record in September (the San Francisco Giants in 2012, Detroit Tigers in 2011, Philadelphia Phillies in 2010 and New York Yankees in 2009) at least made it to their league’s Championship Series in their respective years.
Of course, Cleveland also has some guy named Tito at the helm. Francona’s 28-17 postseason record is second-best in MLB history among managers with a minimum of 25 postseason games (Joe McCarthy, 30-13).

• Reader Joe M. from Norwood, Mass.: Indians

To me, this is an easy one. It has to be the Indians, and it's really not even close. The Rays' pitching, although not as strong as it has been in past years, is still somewhat frightening. Cobb and Moore have been outstanding, and although Price has underperformed, I don't think there's anyone that sits up at night hoping they get to face him.

The Indians are talented, no doubt. But they lack any semblance of a major threat in the middle of their order and their rotation isn't deep enough to win a five-game series, especially without ace Justin Masterson. There could be some added motivation given Francona's history in Boston, but the Sox have too much talent for that to be an overriding factor.

It’s a safe bet that if ballots were left in front of each locker in the Red Sox clubhouse, asking players to rank their teammates in order of importance, 25 ballots would soon find their way into the nearest trash can. Or 24, with one preserved to shove down the throat of the person who passed out the offending ballots.

The nature of the sport, in which the success of playing every day for six months is predicated on 25 players -- or more likely, 35 to 40 players -- all doing their share for the common good, discourages such exercises in assessing the importance of the individual vs. the collective.

Sure, Dustin Pedroia is obviously more important than Quintin Berry, but who’s to say that with a championship hanging in the balance, Berry won’t be the one asked to steal a base with the Sox facing elimination [Dave Roberts, hello.] This isn’t the NBA, where Pedroia can demand, like LeBron James, that he take the last shot, or the NFL, where Jacoby Ellsbury can call his own number in the huddle. Jon Lester can throw a complete-game shutout in Friday’s division opener, but it will all be for naught if John Lackey, Clay Buchholz and Jake Peavy get knocked around the next three games, or the Sox offense is shut down by the other team.

Still, the exercise is not entirely without merit. It’s a given that when Boston’s opponent in the first round of the playoffs holds its advance scouting meeting, pitchers will be told, ‘We’re not going to let David Ortiz beat us.’ Or, ‘Don’t wait till the ninth to get to the Sox bullpen, because by then, with Uehara on the mound, it will be too late.’

Value judgments are made all the time. Pitch around this guy, run on this catcher, take the extra base on this arm, wait out this pitcher. So, we’ll add our judgments, too, with the caveat that they be taken seriously only as a starting point for conversation and debate, not as a reckoning of a player’s true worth to the team. The Heat can’t win an NBA title without LeBron playing at his best; the Sox can win with Craig Breslow pitching out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, or Jonny Gomes hitting a pinch homer in the 11th. In baseball, in fact, you can count on those things happening.

Here’s how I rank ‘em, 25 to 1, in order of their importance in October. Also, you can do your own rankings here.

So it will be either old friend Terry Francona or (sort of) old nemesis the Tampa Bay Rays coming to Fenway Park for the ALDS on Friday afternoon.

Behind a complete-game effort by David Price, the Rays beat the Rangers 5-2 to qualify for the wild-card game against Francona's Indians on Wednesday night in Cleveland.

Price's performance (7 hits, 4 strikeouts, 1 walk, 81 of 118 pitches for strikes) likely will lead some Red Sox fans to root even harder for the Indians. Although Price likely wouldn't face the Red Sox until Saturday's Game 2, he would be lined up on regular rest for Game 5, if things get that far. Matt Moore (2.79 ERA this month, 17-4 on the season, 2-0 against the Sox) figures to be Tampa Bay's Game 1 starter.

The Red Sox were 12-7 against the Rays this season, but Joe Maddon's squad has been a thorn in Boston's side in the past, notably in the 2008 ALCS, which the Rays won in seven games, and in 2011, when they rallied to beat the Yankees and helped push the Sox out of the playoffs on the last night of the regular season. And then there is the series of brawls between the teams that dates back to the Devil Rays/Gerald "Ice" Williams days.

The Sox were 6-1 against the Indians, but didn't play them after May. Cleveland closed the season with 10 straight wins, but they came at the expense of the Astros, White Sox and Twins, three of the worst teams in baseball.

Asked Monday what the key to his team's late-season surge was, Francona couldn't resist referencing the Red Sox collapse under his watch in 2011. "We stayed away from chicken and beer. That helped. Might as well get that out of the way," he cracked.

The probable starters for Wednesday's wild-card game are Danny Salazar (2-3 in 10 career starts) for Cleveland and Alex Cobb (11-3) for the Rays.

The Red Sox will open their AL Division Series at 3:07 p.m. Friday at Fenway Park. The Sox will play the winner of Wednesday's wild-card playoff game between the Indians and either the Rays or Rangers (8:07 p.m.).

Game 2 of the ALDS at Fenway will be at 5:37 p.m. on Saturday.

The Sox will be off Sunday before playing Game 3 on the road Monday (time TBA).

Games 1 and 2 will be televised on TBS. Every postseason game will be broadcast on ESPN Radio.

CLICK HERE for the full postseason schedule.

In the days leading to the ALDS, we’ll ask five people -- our four Red Sox pundits and one reader -- to answer five questions about this surprisingly successful Red Sox team.

Today’s question: What’s the biggest reason for the Red Sox’s worst-to-first transformation? And how much stock do you put in the character/chemistry argument?

• Gordon Edes: Sox made the most of their do-over

It all changed for the Red Sox on Aug. 25, 2012, when through a fortuitous set of circumstances the Sox were able to execute a transformative trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, unloading the players they thought would be their foundational pieces for the rest of the decade -- Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, along with Josh Beckett and Nick Punto -- and freeing up $262 million in the process.

No one gets to hit the reset button the way the Sox did when they found a willing buyer in the Dodgers, who had just gone through an ownership change that left them flush with cash and a desire to make a huge impression on a fan base turned off by the greed of bankrupt owner Frank McCourt. The trade required a coordinated effort from ownership and GM Ben Cherington to execute, and a mutual acknowledgment that the previous master plan was an abject failure.

Given the chance to do it differently, Cherington and new manager John Farrell proceeded to reshape the roster, with the added focus of identifying good players who wanted to play in Boston and would thrive there. That may not be the textbook definition of “character,” but the Sox obviously found the right characters for this market.

• Joe McDonald: The right guys at the right time

This transformation has everything to do with the changes Cherington made during the offseason. Hiring Farrell gave the manager instant credibility in the clubhouse. Once he was in place, Cherington and Farrell built the roster from the clubhouse out, stressing both character and talent. Cherington complemented the core with well-respected guys like Jonny Gomes, Shane Victorino, David Ross, Mike Napoli and Mike Carp.

The chemistry this team had was evident as early as spring training, and it never waned throughout the summer and now into fall.

• Tony Lee: Holdovers had something to prove

The impact of imports Victorino, Napoli, Gomes, Koji Uehara and others was massive. However, what has elevated the Red Sox has been the return to form of the holdovers, the very ones who languished through 2012, either healthy or not.

John Lackey transitioned from a sidelined malcontent (in the eyes of some) to a cap-doffing workhorse. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz saw their combined ERAs drop from 4.70 to 3.08. Jacoby Ellsbury and David Ortiz played in the same game 12 times in 2012. They were lineup linchpins this year alongside Dustin Pedroia, who saw upticks at the plate and produced perhaps the best defensive year ever for a Red Sox second baseman.

It is impossible to quantify the effect of improved chemistry, but Victorino & Co. could not have an impact until they were welcomed to the fold by revitalized remnants.

• Kyle Brasseur: Forget chemistry, it’s consistency

This Red Sox team never fell below .500 at any point this season, never lost four or more games consecutively and was swept only once all season. Meanwhile, last year’s Red Sox team was swept in their first series of the year and had lost four games in a row 13 games into the season. There’s a lot of stock to put into the character/chemistry argument; the players and coaching staff on this team picked each other up after tough losses and never let things spiral out of control. Here they are, in the postseason 97 wins later.

• Reader Mike P. from Mystic, Conn.: Sox earned my respect back

A well-respected manager and healthy, talented players get you lots of wins, and I think those factors probably account for the great chemistry, more so than the other way around. But those factors don't guarantee the chemistry either. IMO, the great chemistry and character of this team, while maybe not the major factor in a successful season, certainly adds the icing on the cake and maybe, just maybe, provides the extra little edge that could propel this team to a championship. At a minimum, it accounts for the feeling on the part of lots of Red Sox fans that this team, that we were so disappointed in last year, has done all the right things to regain our respect and loyalty. And, since I watch almost every Red Sox game on TV (and go to a few at Fenway, as well), I can honestly say that the chemistry and character of this team has made watching the Red Sox fun again.

Click HERE to submit your question for consideration for our #5for5 series the rest of the week.

The chips fell the right way for the Red Sox on Sunday, the Rays and Rangers both winning to set up a one-game playoff tonight, the winner of which will face the Indians on Wednesday for the right to play Boston in the ALDS.

However, if you figured the Red Sox wouldn’t have to face a No. 1-type starter in Game 1 at Fenway on Friday night, you’d be mistaken.

The Indians’ Ubaldo Jimenez (4-0 with a 1.09 ERA in September), the Rays’ Matt Moore (2.79 ERA this month and 17-4 on the season, though probably more of a No. 2 than a No. 1) and the Rangers’ Yu Darvish (2.40 ERA in his past five starts; AL strikeouts leader) all pitched Sunday, which would set each of them up to pitch on regular rest against the Red Sox in Game 1 of the ALDS.

Moore is 2-0 in two starts against the Red Sox this season. Darvish faced Boston once, striking out 14 in 7 innings in a 4-3 Rangers win on May 5. Jimenez also faced the Red Sox just once this season. He was knocked out in the second inning after allowing seven runs on two hits and five walks, but that was back on April 16, in his third start of the season.

Terry Francona’s Cleveland club has won 10 straight and 15 of 17 to earn its first postseason berth since 2007. Jimenez tied a career high with 13 strikeouts Sunday.

"I just hope we get to keep playing," Francona said after Sunday’s wild-card clinching win. "We don't want to go home."

The Indians are starting Danny Salazar (2-3, 3.12 ERA) in Wednesday’s wild card game. Tonight’s one-game playoff for the second wild card spot pits Rays ace David Price (9-8, 3.39 ERA) against rookie Martin Perez (10-5, 3.55 ERA) in Arlington, Texas.

BALTIMORE -- Here are a dozen notable individual achievements by Red Sox players in 2013:

* Center-fielder Jacoby Ellsbury led the majors in stolen bases with 52 and was caught just four times, which is a stolen base percentage of 92.9 percent and the highest ever for a player with 50 or more steals.

* Designated hitter David Ortiz had his seventh season of 30-plus home runs and 100-plus RBIs, tying the club record held by Ted Williams. Ortiz became just the seventh player 37 or older to hit .300 or better with 30-plus homers and 100-plus RBIs.

* Second baseman Dustin Pedroia led all Red Sox players with a WAR (Wins Above Replacement) of 6.5, which ranked sixth in the league. Pedroia, who played in a career-high 160 games, also had a defensive WAR of 2.4, behind only third baseman Manny Machado of the Orioles and outfielder Lorenzo Cain of the Royals.

* Koji Uehara retired a club-record 37 straight batters with a career-best 30 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings. He was first among AL relievers in ERA, strikeout-to-walk ratio, WHIP, walks per 9, and opponents’ batting average.

* Jon Lester pitched a career-high 213 1/3 innings and went 15-8, the fifth time in the last six seasons he has won at least 15 games. His earned run average of 3.75 was more than a full point better than last season (4.82).

* Ellsbury and right-fielder Shane Victorino both ranked in the Top 5 in Zone Runs, one of the top metrics for defensive players. Ellsbury led all outfielders with 23 Zone Runs, which is the number of runs above or below what an average player was worth, based on number of plays made. Victorino led all AL right-fielders with 15, and was fifth overall.

* John Lackey, who began the season as the team’s fifth starter amid uncertainty of how he would bounce back from Tommy John surgery, made 29 starts, won 10 games, and posted a 3.52 ERA, his lowest ERA since he went 19-9 with a 3.01 ERA for the Angels in 2007.

* Mike Napoli, whose degenerative hip condition was a source of great concern at the time he signed with Boston, drove in 27 runs in April and finished with a career-best 92 RBIs. In his first season of playing first base, he also tied with Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks in Zone Runs with 11 to lead all big-leaguers at that position. He drove in 31 runs with the bases loaded, most by a Sox player since Vern Stephens had 32 in 1950. His three grand slams in a season ranks second in club history behind Babe Ruth’s four in 1919.

* Daniel Nava, who played in a career high 134 games, ranked second behind Mike Trout of the Angels in OBP for AL outfielders, his .385 OBP ranking fifth overall in the league. Among major-league switch hitters, he ranked first in OBP, third in OPS, and was tied for fifth in runs.

* Clay Buchholz went 9-0 with a 1.71 ERA in his first 12 starts before shoulder bursitis shut him down for over three months. Buchholz finished the season with a 12-1 record and 1.74 ERA in 16 starts; he was 6-0 with a 1.40 ERA in seven road starts.

* Setup man Craig Breslow's 1.84 ERA ranked third among left-handed relievers in the American League. He was 3-0 with an 0.57 ERA in his last 32 appearances.

* Jarrod Saltalamacchia set a club record for catchers with 40 doubles. He also set career highs in hits, RBIs, extra-base hits, runs, walks and, yes, stolen bases (4).

BALTIMORE -- If this was Felix Doubront’s audition for a spot on Boston’s postseason roster, it looks like he’s headed for New Haven instead of Broadway.

The left-hander gave up five runs on five hits and three walks while retiring just four batters in Boston’s 7-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Doubront, who had made 27 starts for the Sox this season but posted a 7.53 ERA in three September starts, was instrumental in Boston losing a game in which they led by five runs for the first time this season.

Doubront had a long conversation on the field with GM Ben Cherington on Saturday, and manager John Farrell had indicated that the club had not yet decided how it was going to proceed in October with the reluctant reliever.

“Felix’s situation, Felix believes in himself, he feels worthy of being a starter," Farrell said before the game, “which is warranted. He’s had a solid year for us. We want to be sure if he’s in the bullpen in the postseason, not only is he into the role, but this is about the team, which is what we try to stress all year long, [but] even more importantly in the postseason. Whatever role you’re in, you’ve got to buy in and contribute what you can to win 11 more games starting Friday."

And how had Doubront bought in?

“Solid, but I think he sees himself as a starting pitcher. I admire that."

Doubront went 11-6 with a 4.08 ERA this season, which did not begin in promising fashion, as the Sox were upset that Doubront had not reported in prime physical shape in spring training. After he lasted just 3 2/3 innings in back-to-back starts in September, the Sox shut him down for 15 days before sending him back to the mound.

“He needed some down time, yeah," Farrell said. “It did catch up to him. For the second year in a row he’s had to take that breather late in the season. That’s where adjustments are already in place and planned for this off-season to avoid that.

“We’ve got to look at other things to adjust and that’s in the off-season. Like we talked about John Lackey, Felix has got to go through something similar. Not to say a reshaping of the body, but there’s got to be a greater foundation laid before spring training starts.

“The talent is there. We talked about it after the start in Toronto; you see more in there. He’s an extremely talented guy. We want to make sure we get the most out of him, for both him and us."

Lackey was originally scheduled to start Sunday, but with the best overall record in the league already cinched, Lackey was scratched in favor of rookie Allen Webster.

The Sox staked him to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings, the game beginning with a leadoff home run by Jacoby Ellsbury. Quintin Berry, starting in right field, hit a two-run home run in the second, and the Sox added another run in the fourth on a throwing error by Orioles catcher Steve Clevenger, who hit Ellsbury in the back with his throw after a swinging bunt. Ellsbury ran into Orioles first baseman Chris Davis on the play; the major-league leader in home runs with 53 had to leave the game with a sprained left wrist.

But the Orioles answered with a five-spot in the fifth off Doubront and Rubby De La Rosa, and went ahead for good with two runs in the sixth -- one charged to De La Rosa, the other to lefty Matt Thornton.

The Sox scored in the ninth on a single by David Ortiz, a wild pitch, and single by Mike Napoli, but Will Middlebrooks grounded into a game-ending double play against Baltimore closer Jim Johnson, who was credited with his 50th save.

The Sox finish the regular season with a 97-65 record, the second Sox team in the last 35 years to win at least 97. The ’04 world champions won 98.

BALTIMORE -- Boston Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz is scheduled to throw in Wednesday’s intrasquad game, according to a baseball source, further evidence that Jon Lester and John Lackey will pitch the first two games of the American League division series that begins Friday.

Buchholz last pitched on Friday, meaning Wednesday’s intrasquad game would come with his normal four days’ rest. Game 3 of the AL division series is scheduled for a week from Monday, which would also keep Buchholz right on schedule.

Lackey, who originally was scheduled to pitch Sunday, last pitched last Tuesday night in Colorado, meaning he will have 10 days’ rest if he pitches Game 2 Saturday. The last time he pitched with extended rest came out of the All-Star break, when he had seven days’ rest. He lost to the Yankees, 5-2, giving up 10 hits and 4 runs in 6 1/3 innings, striking out seven and walking none. His fastball topped out at 96 miles an hour that game, the highest it has been all season. In his last start, he averaged 91 m.p.h., and topped out at 92.

Manager John Farrell has yet to announce the rotation.

BALTIMORE -- A few quick hits before the season finale:

* John Farrell broached the idea of skipping Sunday’s start to John Lackey during Saturday night’s game, and Lackey was amenable to the idea, which is why rookie Allen Webster drew the starting assignment.

* Lackey finishes the season with a 10-13 record and 3.52 in 29 starts and 189 1/3 innings, exceeding all expectations for a pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery 17 months before the start of the 2013 season.

* Farrell said he expects to use several relievers on Sunday, including Felix Doubront, who has yet to pitch out of the pen after starting all season. Doubront had a lengthy conversation with GM Ben Cherington on the field before Saturday’s game, and it remains to be seen whether he will be kept on the postseason roster as a reliever.

* Dustin Pedroia and Daniel Nava were both given the day off, assuring both of them of finishing the season with a .300 average, which, even in this age of advanced sabermetrics, is a recognized benchmark. Nava is at .303, Pedroia .301. Pedroia played 160 games, a new club record.

* Jacoby Ellsbury, who sat Saturday, was back in the starting lineup Sunday and begins the day at .297. Ellsbury finishes at .300 if he goes 2-for-2, 3-for-3, or 3-for-4. He would give the Sox a fourth .300 hitter. David Ortiz leads the team with a .308 average.

* Shortstop Stephen Drew also was given the day off.

* Farrell said Ellsbury’s health is no longer a factor in whether the club carries an extra center-fielder in the postseason.

* Farrell said backup catcher David Ross “absolutely” will get at least one start in the playoffs, probably against a left-handed starter.

* The decision on whether to carry 10 or 11 pitchers has yet to be made.

* The Sox are assured of being no worse than tied for the best record in the majors. The Cardinals begin the day a game behind the Sox, who are 97-64. The Cardinals are 96-65.

* Still alive is the Sox stolen-base streak. They’ve stolen 38 in a row without being caught, most since Toronto stole 38 in 1993.

BALTIMORE -- Takeaways on a night when the Red Sox could safely turn their attention to the postseason after Oakland's loss late Saturday afternoon assured them of the league's best record and home-field advantage throughout the postseason:

* John Farrell, on finishing ahead of the Athletics, and the Fenway Factor in October:

"It's a tribute to the guys in uniform, the way they've come in and competed every day to put ourselves in position to secure home-field advantage. We'd have liked this game to finish up differently, but to know going into the postseason that every series we go into we'll have home-field advantage and playing in front of Fenway fans and how comfortable and successful we've been at home, this is a good thing."

* Jon Lester stiffs media after final regular-season start:

Not what you think. The Sox left-hander had the best of reasons, flying back home to Boston after coming out of the game to be with his wife, Farrah, who's about to give birth to the couple's second child. Who says life can't take a turn for the better after what was easily the worst season of Lester's career in 2012, when he went 9-14 with a 4.82 ERA. The final line on his 2013 regular season: 33 starts, a career-high 213 1/3 innings, 15-8 record, 3.75 ERA, 177 strikeouts and 67 walks. Every significant statistical category was better than the year before: K's per 9 (7.47), walks per 9 (2.8), hits per nine (8.8), home runs per nine (0.8).

Saturday, he was not at his best -- nine hits, including a home run by Brian Roberts, and four runs in five innings -- but he threw 97 pitches and will be well-rested when he goes into next weekend.

"Not as sharp," Farrell said. "Given the way he's righted the ship from a year ago to this year, a very strong season overall."

Farrell continues to hold off on naming his rotation for the postseason. When Alex Speier of WEEI.com asked whether the Lesters planned to name their baby, "Game One Starter," Farrell cracked: "If they do, someone needs to be slapped."

* You can't be a Sox fan without something to worry about:

And the bridge between the starters and closer Koji Uehara remains the obvious choice. Lefty Matt Thornton, on the bubble for an October roster spot, went three up and three down in the sixth, striking out one. Junichi Tazawa then needed just eight pitches to breeze through the heart of the Orioles' order, retiring J.J. Hardy on a fly ball, slugger Chris Davis on a ground ball, and striking out cleanup man Adam Jones.

But then Tazawa came out for the eighth and yielded back-to-back singles to Matt Wieters and Danny Valencia. Maybe, Farrell said afterward, Tazawa is better in one-inning stints at this stage, but because he'd made such fast work of the Orioles in the seventh, the Sox sent him back out to start the eighth.

Franklin Morales came in and overpowered left-handed hitting Nick Markakis, just as he had Colorado's Todd Helton on Wednesday night, with the same result each time: The hitter went down swinging. But then the right-handed hitting DH, Steve Pearce, hit a ball into the corner, where Gomes had a little trouble picking it up, and the Orioles had the lead.

This was only the fifth time in 83 games that the Sox lost after leading through seven innings. That's not a habit you want to develop headed into October.

In the season's second half, setup man Craig Breslow has made 29 appearances, allowing just two earned runs in 26 2/3 innings for an 0.68 ERA.

The rest of the relievers expected to be in the mix for the playoff roster -- Tazawa, Morales, Thornton, Ryan Dempster, Brandon Workman, and Drake Britton -- have a 3.84 ERA in the second half. That's pretty good, but leaves some room to fret.

* Compared to what he did for Chico, he's in a slump:

Daniel Nava went 4-for-4 Saturday night, his sixth career four-hit game and fourth this season, to raise his average to .303 with a game to play, assuring himself of his first .300 season in the big leagues. Nava could go 0-for-5 Sunday and still finish at .300.

The safety zone to finish above .300 is almost as big for Dustin Pedroia, who went 3-for-5 Saturday, his second straight three-hit game, to raise his average to .301. He'd have to go 0-for-4 to drop below .300, to .299. It would be his third season of hitting .300 or better.

Nava, signed out of the independent Golden Baseball League, batted .371 in his last season (2007) for the Chico Outlaws, before his rights were sold for a buck.

What made Saturday's performance stand out was that all four hits came against lefties. Nava is hitting .322 versus right-handers, and his four hits Saturday raised his average against lefties 26 percentage points, from .226 to .252.

"I'm sure he's going to take from this some increased confidence when he faces left-handers," Farrell said. "He's done an outstanding job for us all year, and he's finishing on a high note."

* Overlook Stephen Drew at your own peril:

He doubled and singled and scored two runs Saturday. He tripled and singled and drove in three runs Friday. He is hitting .333 over his past 13 games with eight extra-base hits. He is batting .276 in the season's second half, after batting .233 in the first half, when he was coming back from a concussion and a hamstring issue. He's made eight errors at shortstop all season. He's been underappreciated.