Boston's having no part of World Series talk

PITTSBURGH - Red Sox slugger David Ortiz could not stick to the company line.

While his teammates did their best to lower expectations of the Phillies-Red Sox series, dismissing any suggestion these three games could be a postseason preview, Ortiz spoke candidly about the heavyweight showdown that begins Tuesday night.

"In the back of your head," Ortiz said, "you're like, 'I might be facing these guys in the playoffs.' "

Make that the World Series.

The Phillies (49-30) and Red Sox (45-32) have two of baseball's best records, two of the most talented rosters in the major leagues and, fittingly, two of the three highest payrolls. Their early successes this season have reinforced predictions that this series will be a preview of another meeting in October, just not from the Red Sox.

"I don't think about World Series," Boston's Kevin Youkilis said. "We haven't even got halfway through the season yet, so to think about playoffs and the World Series is a little crazy in my mind. Some other guys might do that. I don't."

Recent stumbles - the Red Sox have lost four of the last five games, two each to the last-place Padres and the hapless Pirates - have cost Boston its first-place standing in the American League East, where it trails the Yankees by a half-game. But it has taken little luster off a matchup against the National League's top team.

The Red Sox' refusal to address this series as anything more than a regular road stop appears to come from the top.

"It's a little dangerous pointing to series, because then you have a chance to stumble somewhere else," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

The Red Sox have been resilient this year. After losing the first six games of the season, Boston responded by crushing opponents, winning 30 of its next 49 games. Before these interleague woes, the Red Sox had owned sole possession of first place in the powerful AL East for 18 consecutive games.

And even with the most recent slide, the Red Sox have won 15 of their last 21, outscoring opponents by 142-79 in that stretch. Their 28-12 record since May 13 is the best in the majors. Boston boasts an impressive record against National League teams, winning 19 of their last 30 games in interleague play. The Red Sox have not been swept by a National League team since 2003, when they dropped a two-game series in Philadelphia.