Sports

MANNY: ‘WHO CARES?’

CLEVELAND – The great Manny Ramirez has spoken. And in Manny’s World, it doesn’t really matter much if the Red Sox rebound to win the AL Championship Series.

“If it doesn’t happen, who cares?” Ramirez said yesterday at Jacobs Field, breaking his usual silence around reporters. “There’s always next year. It’s not like it’s the end of the world.”

Actually, more than a few people will care if the Red Sox continue this ALCS freefall that has them on the brink of 2007 extinction. It’s simple for Boston: Win three straight, beginning with tonight’s Game 5 against the Indians, or head home for the winter as just another of the 28 teams that won’t be playing in the World Series.

At least Ramirez has displayed more urgency with his bat. The free-spirited left fielder is batting .429 this postseason with four homers and 11 RBIs, and is hopeful he’s got a jolt or two reserved for C.C. Sabathia, the Indians’ starting pitcher who faces Josh Beckett tonight.

The Red Sox have faced longer odds before, losing the first three games of the 2004 ALCS before stunning the Yankees with four straight victories, but it’s also a different Boston team, with eight players remaining from the 2004 crew.

“It’s a whole new situation than it was in 2004,” Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. “A lot of guys weren’t a part of that. [But] a lot of teams have come back from 3-1. We’ve got to play.”

Five teams in LCS history have rebounded from a series deficit of at least 3-1: Notably, other than the 2004 miracle, Boston also accomplished the feat in 1986 against the Angels, and Beckett pitched for a Marlins team in 2003 that won the pennant after falling behind 3-1 in the NLCS to the Cubs.

The first goal for the Red Sox is win tonight and get the series back to Fenway Park for Game 6 on Saturday.

“We’re not thinking that much about ’04, but anything is possible,” Ramirez said. “We’re just going to think about [tonight] and just go, have fun and play the game like we’ve been playing all year long and let’s see what the future is going to bring for us.”

The Red Sox desperately need a gem from Beckett tonight after three straight games in which their starting pitcher failed to complete five innings. Beckett is 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA this postseason and was the winning pitcher in Game 1 of the ALCS at Fenway.

But as much as the starting rotation has failed them, the Red Sox also have been zombies at the plate since the fifth inning of Game 2. Over their past 24 innings, the Red Sox have managed five runs after scoring 16 times in the first 14 innings of the series.

Sabathia looks to show something after two postseason flops, including Game 1 of this series, when he surrendered eight earned runs over 4 2/3 innings and took the loss. If anything, the Red Sox can use tonight’s pitching matchup as a source of inspiration.

“I don’t think anybody is down,” Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek said. “I’ve looked at the good things. We still have a chance to play baseball. There’s not one other (AL) team besides the one we’re playing that still has that chance.”

Red Sox manager Terry Francona did his best to downplay a report that Beckett incurred back stiffness during his Game 1 start. Beckett was removed after 80 pitches.

“I don’t want to get into any medical [discussion],” Francona said. “I kind of alluded the other day after his start, I might have said he was beat up or it took a toll on him. I’m comfortable saying that. It took its toll.”

Francona said he has no reservations about Beckett starting tonight.

Ramirez said he doesn’t have any regrets about showboating as his sixth-inning blast disappeared Tuesday. It was Boston’s third straight home run, cutting Cleveland’s lead to 7-3.

“Man, I’m just happy to do something special like that,” Ramirez said. “I’m not trying to show up anybody out there. I’m just trying to have fun.”

mpuma@nypost.com