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July 15, 2007
BOSTON — For different reasons, Josh Beckett and the Red Sox lineup found themselves in unfamiliar territory yesterday.
Beckett went into yesterday with the best run support — 6.8 runs per outing — of any Red Sox starter this season, but not until the sixth inning did the Sox manage a single run to back him in his search for his 13th win.
In a not-unrelated development, the Red Sox lineup was facing Toronto Blue Jays rookie Jesse Litsch for the first time — and it showed.
The Sox collected 11 hits on the afternoon — nine against Litch — but only one at the right time, while Beckett, working with little margin for error, made enough to result in a frustrating 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays.
“He pitched so well,’’ said manager Terry Francona of Beckett. “Other than (the two runs in the second), he was tremendous. And most nights, I’m sitting here saying, ‘Well, it was a couple of bad pitches early in the game, but overall, it was a great game.’ But when you score one, it ends up being one too many.’’
Beckett’s lone stumble came when he surrendered three straight, two-out hits — one double to Lyle Overbay, one to Aaron Hill and a single to Royce Clayton.
“I was trying to go in (on Hill),’’ said Beckett, “and I got it in, but left it up a little bit. And Clayton, I was trying to go down and away and it was right down the middle.’’
Beckett, who lost for the second time in his last three starts and tossed a season-high 118 pitches, wasn’t one to feel sorry for himself.
“I was the second-best pitcher today,’’ he shrugged. “Bottom line — you get out-pitched, you lose. And that’s what happened today. I definitely think I battled through some other innings. But I was the second-best pitcher in that inning and sometimes, that’s enough to lose a ballgame.’’
Meanwhile, Litsch was continually working himself out of trouble in his sixth major-league start.
“He can pitch,’’ said Toronto manager John Gibbons. “He hasn’t had any jitters since Day One he’s been here. That’s one thing about the kid — he’s overflowing with confidence.’’
The Sox put the leadoff man on three times and had multiple hits in the first and third innings, but couldn’t score until the sixth.
The Sox stranded eight base-runners and were just 4-for-15 with runners on base. With runners in scoring position, they were just 2-for-9.
“We didn’t put our hits together,’’ said Julio Lugo, who extended his hitting streak to a modest five games. “We hit some balls well; we just didn’t do it when we needed to. (Beckett) deserved to win. He had one bad inning, but we just couldn’t seem to hit the ball at the right time.’’
Case in point: the third inning, when Lugo and Crisp produced singles to start what looked like a promising rally. But Alex Cora’s sacrifice-bunt attempt resulted in Lugo getting cut down at third and David Ortiz followed with an inning-ending double-play.
Similarly, a one-out double form Doug Mirabelli was wasted in the fifth when Lugo popped out to catcher Jason Phillips and Crisp lined out to center.
In the sixth, the Sox finally cashed in when Cora doubled over head of Vernon Wells in center and Aex Rios misplayed Ortiz’s sinking liner into a run-scoring double. But with the potential tying run in scoring position, Manny Ramirez popped to second, and after a walk to Kevin Youkilis, Lowell popped to Phillips.
Eric Hinske singled to right, but Ortiz was cut down at the plate by Rios.
“With two outs,’’ said Ortiz, “you’ve got to take a chance, especially against a guy who was throwing the ball well.’’
“Sometimes,’’ said Mirabelli, “when you face a guy for the first time, you don’t know what to expect.’’
Things didn’t get any better after Litsch left in the seventh and the Sox faced more familiar reliever. They were 2-for-9 against Scott Downs, Casey Janssen and Jeremy Accardo and lost their sixth straight one-run decision.
--SEAN McADAM
Posted by Chris Venditto 
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