After Saturday's latest pathetic loss, the Boston Red Sox were in desperate need of a quality start from a starting pitcher.
Shockingly, it came from former ace Josh Beckett, who turned back the clock last night and was lights out in a 4-0 win over the New York Yankees at Fenway Park.
I don't think anyone in world expected Beckett (1-1) to deal like he did. It was incredible especially after a middling performance last week in Cleveland. He went eight innings, allowing only two hits with a walk and ten strikeouts.
Boston (2-7) won two out of three against New York (5-4) and fingers crossed, now they can put their miserable opening week behind them. This team is way too good to be as awful as they've been for the first nine games by and large.
CC Sabathia (0-1) was effective but couldn't get out of the sixth inning. The big lefty went 5.2 innings, giving up nine hits, one earned run, four walks and four strikeouts.
The Red Sox were a mind-numbing 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position and they left 16 on base and yet, they won.
Dustin Pedroia led Boston with three hits while David Ortiz and Marco Scutaro had two hits.
Boston scored its first run in the third inning. It came by way of an infield single by Mike Cameron.
Scutaro had the most important hit, a two-run double in the seventh, which scored Ortiz and J.D. Drew.
Ortiz added an RBI double in the eighth for some valuable insurance.
At only 103 pitches, Beckett could have started the ninth but why push him in April? Jonathan Papelbon came on for the second time in the series and was great (two strikeouts, no hits or walks).
So yeah, who knows what to expect from Beckett next time out. At least we don't have quite bury the guy yet since he couldn't have done more in one outing to prove that he can still be Josh Beckett circa 2003 or 2007 when he wants to be.
Tampa Bay (1-8) comes to town for three games starting tonight. Daisuke Matsuzaka faces Jeremy Hellickson in game one. The Red Sox should take advantage of a team that's playing even worse than them and cannot score any runs with Evan Longoria out.
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