Josh Beckett Dominates in Red Sox Opener
April 7, 2009 by Stephen Kersey
Filed under Baseball
Late last season, Josh Beckett wasn’t himself. He was battling injuries and didn’t give the Boston Red Sox dominant performances late in the season — as has come to be expected of Beckett. However, in the season opener for the Red Sox against the Tampa Bay Rays, Beckett was back to being dominant.
Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox (Image: Newscom)
In seven innings, Beckett allowed only two hits and one earned run, while striking out ten batters. That effort helped lead the Red Sox to a 5-3 victory and get Boston off to a good start for their 2009 season.
At the plate, reigning American League MVP Dustin Pedroia hit a homer in the first inning and later scored again after drawing a walk. Jason Varitek added a home run in the sixth inning.
For the Rays, James Shields struggled in his 5.1 innings, giving up five earned runs, nine hits and three walks. The big bats in the lineup were also quiet. Carlos Pena, Pat Burrell and Matt Joyce, the fourth, fifth and sixth batters in the lineup, combined to go 0-for-12 with six strikeouts.
These two teams, who battled last year in the postseason, face each other on Wednesday with Boston’s Jon Lester pitching against Tampa Bay’s Scott Kazmir.
