Red Sox and American League All-Star manager Terry Francona can relax now. All he has to do the rest of the way is win a pennant.

Francona survived the 4-hour, 50-minute (a record), 15-inning (ties a record) midsummer classic without having to use Sox outfielder J.D. Drew as a pitcher. Drew had volunteered to do so if the game had gone on.

Both teams were out of pitchers when this game ended, but neither team ever ran out of gas in a classic game the AL won 4-3 to extend its unbeaten streak to 12 (11-0-1).

It was a week of stories in New York that will fill a book.

Here were Red Sox players in Yankee lockers. There was Francona in Yankee manager Joe Girardi’s office with Girardi also there as one of Francona’s coaches for the game.

Before the game, Francona sat on the couch in Girardi’s office. He refused to use the desk out of the respect for the Yankee manager.

Yankee GM Brian Cashman came by the office and Francona hollered out to him, “Thanks for the use of the scouting reports.” Francona was joking with him about using the Yankee reports on the Red Sox that were in Girardi’s office.

Cashman replied, “You’re welcome to them. They didn’t do us much good in the first half.”

For a week the issue was whether Francona would use Yankee closer Mariano Rivera or Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon to finish the game in New York. In the red carpet parade up 6th Avenue on Tuesday before the game, Francona said, “In the parade I heard how much I suck – and pitch Rivera.”

He pitched them both and the game just kept on going.

Francona showed great respect for the Yankees all night. He pulled both Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez from the game during innings to give the fans a chance to applaud. He wanted Rivera to finish the game with a save situation.

He wanted to honor the home team players in this final All-Star game at Yankee Stadium.

Until the game became a marathon, the toughest part of the week for Francona had been selecting the reserve players.

“You know,” said Francona, “Theo (Boston GM Epstein) has a great idea. He thinks the final player selections should be made by the GM. Why not? He’s a big part of the Sox winning and that’s why I’m managing.”

The idea would be to have the GMs of the last World Series teams be the ones to select the reserve players. Francona has no problem with that.

“I’d love to manage the team and not pick it.”

Otherwise, every Red Sox player got roundly booed by Yankee fans. Only Drew received some applause when he hit the two-run home run in the seventh to tie the game.

However, by the time he stood on the field to receive the MVP award – it was 1:50 a.m., by the way – the few left in the stadium booed on.

Francona can relax now, knowing no good deed by a Red Sox for a Yankee ever goes unpunished.

bdnsports@bangordailynews.net