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May 29, 2007
With the way this season is going for the Red Sox, what else did you expect to happen when Josh Beckett made his return?
Even a potentially major problem somehow manages to come up roses for the Sox these days and it happened with Beckett, too.
After missing two starts while on the disabled list to care for an avulsion on the middle finger of his pitching hand, Beckett returned last night and picked up right where he left off. Which is to say, he threw another outstanding game.
He went seven innings, allowing only four base runners and two runs, as the Sox won their fifth straight, 4-2 over Cleveland.
``For him to not really skip a beat is pretty phenomenal,’’ said Sox manager Terry Francona. ``He came out right from the get go and established all three of his pitches, just like he’s been doing. Thats a team thats a pretty good hitting team and he pitched a heck of a game.’’
Beckett was thrilled with the way his situation was handled. That is, that he was held back longer than he might have been.
``I think we made the smart decision on that deal,’’ he said. ``I think the rainouts helped us make that decision. That might have been a blessing in disguise having me miss that second start not just one.’’
Beckett is now 8-0 on the season. He becomes the 10th pitcher in Red Sox history to win his first eight decisions. The last was reliever Rich Garces in 2000. The last starter to so it was Roger Clemens, who began 14-0 in 1986.
It is a sign of well well he has pitched all season that no one even attempted to say this was his best outing.
``He could have been a little sharper with some of his pitches,’’ said catcher Jason Varitek, ``but overall he was very good.’’
In one way, the physical setback turned into an example on how Beckett has matured. Francona spoke about how hard the pitcher worked while he was on the DL.
``It’s really a testament to his work ethic,’’ Francona said. ``He went down there the last two weeks and did a lot of things. . . You can work all you want but its not a game situation.
``He didn’t just go through the motions on any of those days. He did everything in his power to be the same pitcher as when he left two weeks ago. He and John (Farrell, the pitching coach) together, they did a great job of staying prepared and staying in sync. Being able to throw all his pitches and not being rusty or not being too strong.’’
Beckett spoke about how the team not only had its medical staff work with him but brought in specialists.
``This is a tribute to our training staff, the doctors, my pitching coach sticking with me,’’ Beckett said. ``John Farrell was here at 1:30 some days so I could go out and throw five innings. Our bullpen catcher. Everybody’s been real supportive.’’
Beckett has had a history of hand problems, which is why there were serious concerns when the avulsion problem cropped up May 14. In his return, he threw 91 pitches, 58 for strikes, and perhaps most importantly of all, used everything in his repertoire. That included his curve, the pitch that brings on the problems.
Beckett showed no reluctance going with his breaking ball. He used his curve often and effectively from the start. He struck out leadoff hitter Grady Sizemore on a 96 mile-an-hour fastball in the first, then whiffed Sizemore again on a nasty breaking ball in the fourth. He completed the hat trick on Sizemore in the sixth, this time getting him looking at a 93 mile-an-hour fastball on the outside corner.
The Indians got to Beckett in the seventh, after a long bottom of the sixth that included two Boston runs, the first on a Kevin Youkilis home run, a double by Mike Lowell and three straight walks by reliever Fernando Cabrera.
In the Cleveland seventh, Peralta got on again with a single to right. He scored on a triple to right by Hafner, a drive that bounced between J.D. Drew and the line and went all the way back to the stands near the visitors bullpen.
Hafner came home on a grounder to first by Victory Martinez. Beckett ended the inning, and his night, by striking out Trot Nixon, his sevength strikeout of the night.
Beckett knows he is not home free.
``It’s something were going to have to monitor all the time,’’ he said. ``It’s the same way weve always done it.’’
Down the road there might be problems. Right now, though, just about everything with Beckett and the Sox is positive.
--PAUL KENYON
Posted by Corey Bourassa 
at 10:55 PM | Permalink
