CLEVELANDAs well as Josh Beckett pitched in Cleveland in the 2007 ALCS (eight innings of nasty, one run, 11 strikeouts, five hits in a 7-1 win), its hard to believe he entered Tuesdays game looking for his first career regular season win in Cleveland.
But thats what he got as the Red Sox beat the Indians, 4-2, for the first time this season. Beckett went 6 23 innings, allowing one run on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts. Beckett is now 4-1 with a 1.69 ERA in 10 starts this season.
Through six innings Beckett and Indians starter Fausto Carmona nearly matched each other. But, leading, 2-1, going into the seventh, Sox batters were able to open a lead on Carmona, who had limited them to two runs on just two hits before the frame.
David Ortiz lead off the seventh with a double to center, scoring on Jason Varitek's one-out home run to right. It was Variteks first home run since May 30, 2010.