Williams Adamant Martinez Won’t Be Moved Up in Rotation

A little late to head off the rumblings in Boston, but as sharply as he could, Red Sox Manager Jimy Williams stressed that even if Boston faces early elimination he has no plans to move up ace Pedro Martinez from his scheduled start in Game 5.

The series, of course, is tied, 1-1, heading into today’s Game 3 at Fenway Park. But that’s not too early for local fretting.

Williams spent much of Thursday’s media session fending off suggestions that Martinez, who won Game 1, should pitch Game 4 on three days’ rest if Cleveland wins Game 3 and pushes Boston one game away from elimination.

“I know where you’re going with this,” Williams said. “I understand the thinking. But when you’re talking about moving Pedro up--he hasn’t pitched on three days’ rest all year. . . . We’ve got to protect our investment.

“Somebody else has to win a game for us, either way. We can’t just have Pedro get us to 2-2 on Saturday, because then I guess I’d have to pitch him on Sunday too, right? Isn’t that the logic here?

“Pedro’s not going to pitch Saturday. He’s not pitching.”

Left-hander Pete Schourek is scheduled to start Game 4, which also is at Fenway. If necessary, the series will return to Cleveland’s Jacobs Field for Game 5.

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Indians’ Game 3 starter Charles Nagy grew up in Connecticut as a local contemporary of Red Sox first baseman Mo Vaughn, and has plenty of memories of their matchups over the years. “I’ve been pitching to Mo from Babe Ruth to Legion ball, Seton Hall [which Vaughn attended] vs. UConn [which Nagy attended],” Nagy said. “And he’s hit a home run against me every step of the way.”

Today’s Pitchers

INDIANS’ CHARLES NAGY (15-10, 5.22 ERA) vs. RED SOX’S BRET SABERHAGEN (15-8, 3.96 ERA)

Site--Fenway Park

Time--1 p.m. PDT. TV--ESPN

* Update--It’s a twilight start, so the long shadows probably will once again drive the batters crazy, just as they did for several of the Indians’ American League championship series games against the Orioles last season. Nagy, who was Cleveland’s most consistent starter after the all-star break, has a 7-1 record against the Red Sox, and is 5-1 at Fenway.