CLEVELAND – We gather here to praise a seldom-discussed aspect of this remarkable Red Sox season. Today, let’s discuss the team’s pitching.

At least the five men who make up the Boston starting rotation. (We won’t talk about the bullpen right now. My mother always told me if you can’t say anything nice about someone, don’t say anything at all.)

Hitting has ruled the day in the slug-happy Summer of ’03. This is the best offensive team in Red Sox history. It’s one of the best in the history of the game. Boston has already set a single-season major league record for extra base hits in a season and will break several more hitting marks before the end of the year.

While the hitters have grabbed the headlines, the team’s starting pitching has quietly become the story of September. “It’s been overlooked,” said manager Grady Little, who admitted the starting rotation had “exceeded our expectations” in many areas.

Let’s start at the top. Pedro Martinez takes the mound today on the heels of an impressive complete-game performance Tuesday night, his third complete game this year. Martinez threw 121 pitches in the game, and seems to be as strong as he’s ever been.

That’s very, very good news for the Red Sox.

The emphasis is on pitching, rather than throwing. Martinez doesn’t throw as much heat as he used to. As the manager points out, he doesn’t have to. Pedro’s more of a complete pitcher now, and relies on his intelligence and savvy more than his natural ability to throw a ball 96 miles an hour.

As good as Pedro has been, he will finish with fewer wins than Derek Lowe for the second straight year. Lowe is anxious to get back to the playoffs, this time as a starter (he was a reliever last time Boston made the post-season.) While not taking anything for granted, Lowe’s more than ready to see his team snap a three-year post-season drought.

“I remember this city after we beat Cleveland (in the 1999 Divisional Series),” said Lowe, ” and that was just the first round. It’s incredible.”

Tim Wakefield was also a reliever in 1999, and pitched in two games (a total of two innings) in the first-round win over Cleveland. He didn’t make the roster for the second-round ALCS vs the Yankees. This time, he’ll make the roster as the No. 3 starter. He’s tied for the team lead in starts, and is closing in on 200 innings pitched for the first time since 1998.

Martinez, Lowe, and Wakefield have combined for 51 quality starts (six innings or more pitched with three or fewer earned runs allowed) this season. “I’m very confident in our starting staff right now,” said Wakefield after pitching 8 1/3 innings for his 11th win Thursday night. “I feel we’re clicking on all cylinders.”

Okay, so one of the cylinders – namely Jeff Suppan – needs a tune-up (would you pick up his option for $4 million next year?). John Burkett’s been okay, a vast improvement over his 1-2 record as of May 17. Little says Burkett’s “been outstanding” since then. He hasn’t named Burkett the fourth starter for the playoffs, but he will.

Four starters – that’s all you need in the post-season. And the Sox have four starters pitching well right now. “They’ve given us a big lift,” said Nomar Garciaparra. “It means a lot.”

In the playoffs, it means everything. Offense got the Red Sox this far. Pitching will determine how much farther they can go.

Lewiston native Tom Caron is an analyst for NESN Red Sox telecasts.