01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, September 29, 2004

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A playoff spot wrapped up, the Red Sox yesterday began turning their attention to next week's postseason and the attendant decisions that still must be made.

On the matter of the team's pitching rotation -- its order and composition -- manager Terry Francona was predictably non-committal.

Part of Francona's reluctance to comment revolves around the fact that, entering last night, the Sox were still within striking distance of the division lead.

The last thing the Sox want to do is rearrange their rotation in the final few days of the season, only to find the A.L. East title within their grasp.

"We'll stay in line until (tomorrow's) off-day," Francona said, "and then see where we stand. There's no reason to change before then. If it looks like (the division is a longshot), where we're down two with three to go and we might be swimming upstream, at that point we could do some things."

Pedro Martinez will make his final start of the regular season tonight. Friday night, the Sox could use either scheduled starter Tim Wakefield or move up Curt Schilling, who would be pitching with the standard four days' rest, thanks to tomorrow's off-day.

Suspension poses problem

The club would like to use Pedro Astacio to start one of Saturday's games, which would enable one of the other Sox starters to rest up and be ready to pitch out of the bullpen in the ALDS.

That plan got somewhat complicated yesterday when Major League Baseball suspended Astacio for three games and fined him $1,000 for his actions in last Sunday's game against the Yankees.

Astacio threw behind New York outfielder Kenny Lofton in the eighth inning, in apparent retribution for Lofton elbowing first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz earlier in the game.

Astacio immediately announced plans to appeal the suspension. The Sox hope the matter can be taken care of so he can pitch Saturday.

Astacio said the disciplinary action wasn't unexpected "because of the time, when the umpire kicks you out, you get suspended."

Brad Halsey of the Yankees also was suspended for three games and fined $1,000 for throwing high and tight at Dave Roberts.

Williamson getting by

Scott Williamson, in a bid to make the Sox' postseason roster, pitched the seventh, walking one hitter and recording three outs. He never got above 89 mph on the Tropicana Field radar gun reading.

"I definitely don't have the stuff I had (before battling an elbow and forearm flareup in mid-season)," he said. "I'm learning a lot, trying to keep the ball down and concentrate on movement. I've just got to keep battling."

Francona said the Sox still want to see the reliever pitch on back-to-back days before completing their evaluation of him, but that won't come until this weekend in Baltimore.

Damon's neat feat

Johnny Damon's bases-loaded triple in the fourth inning gave him 86 RBI from the leadoff spot this season, sixth-best all time for leadoff hitters.

The record is held by Darin Erstad, who had 100 RBI for the Angels in 2000. Damon had 88 RBI from the leadoff spot while with Kansas City, also in 2000.

Damon has 22 RBI in his last 21 games, including six in the first two games of this series.

Bellhorn, Varitek rest

Francona gave the night off to two regulars -- second baseman Mark Bellhorn and catcher Jason Varitek.

Pokey Reese got the start at second base, though he might have, anyway, with sinkerballer Derek Lowe on the mound. Doug Mirabelli was behind the plate for only the ninth time this season without his usual batterymate, Wakefield.

"We're still going to try to win," Francona said. "There are ways to rest people and still try to win games. I owe it to the organization to have the players ready to play next week. But I also understand the importance of trying to win games -- so we're going to try to do both."

Around the bases

Lowe's start was his 383rd appearance for the Sox, tying Roger Clemens for third on the club's all-time list. Wakefield is just ahead with 386, while Bob Stanley is the leader with 637. . . . A first-inning RBI by David Ortiz and a sixth-inning RBI by Manny Ramirez gave the duo 265 combined for the season, moving them into fourth place on the all-time club list and passing the pair of Ted Williams-Vern Stephens, who had 264 in 1948. . . . Keith Foulke, who picked up his 31st save, has allowed just one hit to Tampa Bay in 7 2/3 innings of work this season. . . . Last night's win was Boston's 95th, matching last year's total. . . . The Red Sox are now 33 games over .500 for the first time since Oct. 1, 1986, the year they last captured the American League pennant. . . . The Sox improved to 14-4 against Tampa this season with one game remaining.