Beckett stops Red Sox slide
BOSTON -- The Red Sox have had a miserable opening to this season, but it's not because of Josh Beckett. He's had a fine start.
Beckett held Toronto to one run in seven innings yesterday in his second straight strong outing and Jed Lowrie hit a two-run homer to lift the Red Sox to a 4-1 victory over the Blue Jays.
Beckett, 30, coming off an injury-plagued 2010 season in which he went 6-6 with a 5.78 ERA, overpowered the Yankees last Sunday and followed it up with another impressive outing. He held the Blue Jays to a pair of singles and a double, striking out nine and walking two.
"I think execution-wise and health-wise and everything, I definitely think my last two starts were a notch above what I was most of the year last year," Beckett said.
Pitching in chilly conditions, with wind chills in the mid-30s and a stiff breeze blowing in from rightfield, Beckett allowed two baserunners in an inning only once.
"I definitely pushed myself a little bit more. I definitely felt good today," he said. "That was one of the things where on a day game like today, where maybe the energy is down a little bit. That's a way of picking myself up."
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Red Sox, who have the majors' worst record at 3-10.
Lowrie, inserted into the leadoff spot to replace struggling outfielder Carl Crawford, went 3-for-5 to raise his average to .500. He had seen limited playing time, getting 17 at-bats before the start.
-- AP
More MLB news
