Red Sox root for Game 5 in series

After a sweep, Boston is off until Friday.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Red Sox are rooting for the Yankees, if only for one game.

Boston has four days off before the start of the AL championship series, having swept the Los Angeles Angels in the first round of the playoffs.

Though none of the Red Sox would express a preference in the lone remaining division matchup, they wouldn’t mind if New York and Cleveland wear each other out before it’s over.

“I guess my preference would be that they play for about another eight days and go 20 innings every game,” Boston manager Terry Francona said after beating the Angels 9-1 on Sunday to earn the extra time off. “We’ll get guys throwing. We’ll get guys hitting, and we’ll stay ready.”

The Yankees and Indians played Game 4 on Monday night, with Cleveland holding a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. If New York wins they will play a deciding fifth game on Wednesday in Cleveland.

The Yankees used No. 1 pitcher Chien-Ming Wang Monday and Andy Pettitte is slated for Game 5; the Indians went with Paul Byrd on Monday and holding ace C.C. Sabathia for a potential fifth game.

“My preference is they play five games, try to use their guys up, so we can be more rested than them,” third baseman Mike Lowell said. “But either team is going to be a challenge for us and it’s going to be a tough series, and hopefully we can be ready for it.”

Josh Beckett, who pitched a four-hit shutout over the Angels in Game 1, his second consecutive playoff shutout, will have eight days of rest before the opener of the AL championship series.

Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched the second game in the first round, but Curt Schilling could get the Game 2 start in Round 2 and he would have five days of rest.

“It’s certainly better than playing a 17-inning Game 5 and heading straight to Cleveland,” Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said.

New York and Cleveland is the only series still going. In the National League, Colorado swept Philadelphia and Arizona swept the Chicago Cubs.

The winners won’t just be sitting around. After flying cross-country on Sunday night, the Red Sox planned to rest for one day and work out today.

“We’ll take it as it comes, have our workouts and try to stay sharp and get ready for Game 1,” Lowell said. “I think any team would rather not have five days off. But ... I’d rather win three than go four and five. So we’ll take it. And I don’t think there should be any letdown. If you have a letdown because you have too many days off, you have a problem.”