Some thoughts from the Yankees-Red Sox game Thursday night:

-- The game was nearly four hours long, coming in at 3:52. About an hour of it was interesting. Basically, the Chamberlain-Smoltz matchup/disaster, plus the Pedroia plunking in the 8th. (You think Josh Beckett will have something to say about that on Friday?)

-- The game was so long, I was hearing calls for umpire Derryl Cousins to widen his strike zone to actually encompass the entire plate. With a strike zone like that, even Yuniesky Betancourt could have drawn a walk.

-- *The game was so long, John Smoltz had surgery, underwent rehab and returned to watch the final three innings.

*This is not true, but might be something to consider.

-- Speaking of Smoltz, it may be time to pull the plug, and he knows it. "I'm not doing it right now. I'm a big enough man to stand up here and say I'm not doing it. Time may not be on my side if this continues. I've been here before, but not like this."

-- I know Jorge Posada was one of the heroes and all (3-for-5, one mammoth 3-run homer), but how could he not slide on that play at the plate in the second inning? He was tagged out easily while sort of gently bumping Victor Martinez. If you remember, Posada was the guy who helped create the Derek Jeter legend by tagging out a non-sliding Jeremy Giambi in the 2001 playoffs. Talk about not learning from history.

-- Not sure if he was praising the Yankees, ripping Yankee Stadium, or a little bit of both, but Terry Francona said: "That's an unforgiving lineup in an unforgiving ballpark."

-- In going 0-for-5, David Ortiz played as if Saturday's press conference is weighing on his mind.

-- Lost in the shuffle: Casey Kotchman hit a two-run home run in his first start for Boston, and Kevin Youkilis played passably well in left field.

John Smoltz makes his anticipated return to the mound on Thursday. It is also his anticipated debut for the Boston Red Sox, who signed him away from Atlanta in the offseason after the Braves showed somewhat tepid interest in keeping their aging star.

There is one problem with Smoltz's return, it would have been a lot more fun if it had come a day or two later.

On Thursday, Smoltz will take the mound in Washington against baseball's worst team – the Washington Nationals. On Friday, Boston begins a three-game series at Turner Field against the Atlanta Braves.

Clearly the Red Sox are easing the veteran right-hander back into things, and Smoltz himself says that's fine with him.

"I'm not afraid of any challenge or anything that comes about. It's just, I've got to be realistic to see that this scenario would have been much more than just a regular first-game start."

Smoltz already paid respects to his former teammates when the Braves were in Boston this past week, but it still would've been fun to have them face off against each other. Now the only way that happens this year is if both teams reach the World Series – unlikely to say the least.

Meanwhile, Boston fans, already undoubtedly pleased with Dice-K's trip to the disabled list, can get excited about adding another strong, veteran pitcher to the rotation. A guy who has made it a habit to be dominant on the mound, even when injured.

"Even when he's not healthy, his numbers don't fluctuate," marveled Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell. "He's had a remarkable career."

FIVE SERIES TO WATCH