BOSTON -- Normally when the Yankees come to town in September, it means something.

Not this year.

New York will not be playing in October for the first time in 13 seasons. The Red Sox, though headed to the postseason, were all but locked into the wild-card spot prior to Friday night's game. Add in the rain -- which forced a 1 hour-and-31-minute delay at the start of the game, and another 38-minute halt in the eighth inning -- and it's easy to see why, despite all the tickets being sold, there were more than a few empty seats at Fenway Park. And why the teams' lineups, as the game progressed, looked more like something out of Fort Myers in March than Boston in September.

So it was hard for the Red Sox to get too worked up over their 19-8 defeat, which officially eliminated them from contention for the A.L. East title and punched their ticket to Anaheim for the first round of the playoffs next week.

"It was one of those things where we had to win three and Tampa had to lose three," said Sean Casey, referring to the division title hopes. "It was a long shot. The most important thing is to just get in."

"The important thing for us is to get our house in order and be healthy," said Terry Francona. "We'll try to get as ready as we can be moving forward."

Daisuke Matsuzaka was the scheduled starter for Boston, but was scratched because of the wet conditions. David Pauley started instead and lasted only 2 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

Pauley made his major-league debut for the Red Sox in 2006 and made three starts that season. He didn't get called up in 2007 and had made one spot start this season prior to last night. In 28 1/3 innings of work for Boston, he's allowed 54 hits.

Matsuzaka will start - weather permitting - Saturday in Game Two of this season-ending series with the Yankees. Tim Wakefield will pitch on Sunday. That leaves ace Josh Beckett well rested for Game One of the ALDS.

David Ortiz was slated to start at first base Friday night with Mike Lowell serving as the club's DH. Ortiz didn't play because of the rain and Lowell was removed from the game after one at-bat after reinjuring his right-hip flexor.

It wasn't a total wash out for some of the Red Sox players Friday night, though.

Gil Velazquez started at second for Dustin Pedroia and recorded his first major-league hit, an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning.

He wasn't alone.

Rookie catcher George Kottaras, another September callup, replaced Kevin Cash in the top of the fifth inning and recorded his first major-league hit, too. He lined a double into the left-field corner. Yankee first baseman Jason Giambi went out of his way to retrieve both balls for Velazquez and Kottaras as the traditional keepsakes.