Sloppy Beckett nets #16 as BoSox pound ChiSox

Boston 11, Chicago 3
WP: Beckett (16-5)
LP: Garland (8-10)
HRs: BOS-Varitek (11); CHI-Fields (16)

SUMMARY
After drenching storms pushed his start back by a day, Josh Beckett showed signs of rust but shook off a shaky start while his offense piled up runs against a horrid Chicago staff, helping Becks earn his ML-leading 16th victory of the season.

#1 STUNNER(s) Varitek & Lowell 5-7, 3R, 6RBI
The Captains of Clutch each contributed a couple of big knocks in this one.

In the 4th Lowell's RBI single gave Boston the lead at 2-1, then Tek followed with a 2-run double. In the 9th Lowell's RBI double broke the game open, 8-3, and Tek's 2-run homer iced the cake.

PAN's FAUN Mike Myers 1IP, 4H, 4ER, 2BB, 41P
The sidearming former Boston and Stankees reliever came on for the 9th and turned a somewhat manageable ChiSox deficit (7-3) into an absolute rout, highlighted by former batterymate Jason Varitek's 2-run missile.

RECAP
I guess it was worth the wait.

After an 18-hour delay and rampant uncertainty that this game would be played, Josh Beckett finally took the mound for his start against Chicago with his sights set on earning his 16th win of the season.

And despite having to navigate a rocky opening inning, in which the All Star allowed a run on a hit and three consecutive bases-on-balls, Boston's road warrior continued his dominance away from home this season, recording his 9th victory on the road and 16th overall on the year.

But the odds of Beckett becoming the first 16-game winner in the majors this season seemed long after this one (finally) started, as Josh struggled with his control while throwing an inordinate amount of breaking pitches early on.

In fact after retiring Jerry Owens on four pitches to start the 1st inning, Beckett went to three-ball counts on 5 of the next 6 batters, and the only one he didn't get behind was A.J. Punkzynski, who doubled to right on the second pitch he saw.

That's what a night & half a day of waiting around can do to a worl-class pitcher, though.

Following Punkzynski's two-bagger Beckett (5.2IP, 7H, 3ER, 3BB, 4K) fell behind Paul Konerko 3-1 before walking him, fell behind Darrin Erstad 3-1 before walking him, and finally fell behind Jermaine Dye 3-0 before walking him on four pitches to force in the game's first run.

Luckily for him his teammates soon solved ChiSox starter Jon Garland (7IP, 9H, 6R, 5ER, BB, 5K), breaking through for a run in the 3rd before laying a 4-spot on the embattled former 18-game winner in the 4th.

Alex Cora jump-started the offense that had scored just one run in its last 13 innings when he roped a 2-out double into the right field corner, then cruised home when Julio Lugo singled sharply to center to tie the game at one.

In the 4th Coco Crisp and Manny Ramirez (2-4, 3R) sandwiched singles around a line out by David Ortiz, then Lowell drove a 2-0 pitch up the middle and through Garland's legs into centerfield to score Coco with the run that put the Sox ahead to stay, 2-1.

An error by second baseman Danny Richar (who?!) allowed J.D. Drew to reach, loading the bases, and after a lengthy battle, Varitek drove a ball high & deep to left that bounced off the wall for a 2-run single that made the score 4-1 Boston.

Eric Hinske, recovered from his calf cramp, followed with a bloop RBI single to left center on the next pitch, and suddenly the Sox could afford a spot of wildness from their ace.

Which was a good thing because after a 1-2-3 4th inning, Becks let Chicago right back in the game when Owens led off the 5th with a single to left and Josh Fields, who leads all ML rookies in homers, crushed a 1-2 pitch from Beckett into the seats for his 16th longball of the season to cut the score to 5-3.

Beckett would last until he gave up consecutive two-out singles to Richar and RF Andy Gonzalez (who?!) in the 6th, then recently recalled Javier Lefty Lopez came in and retired Owens on a fly ball to left, needing just 4 pitches to squelch the threat.

Welcome back, Javier.

So with the score close and the game getting late, Boston had to scratch some more runs off the Chicago staff to put this one out of reach.

And in the final two frames they would do just that.

The 8th & 9th innings was a horror show for the White Sox, the few Chisox fans in attendance, and especially the viewing audience.

Despite allowing just 2 hits and 2 runs in the 8th, Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen felt inclined to use 4 pitchers in the inning even though his team is so far out of the race they're closer to the bottom of the league than the top of the playoff chase.

After Boston loaded the bases on a walk to Ortiz (0-3, 2R, 2BB), a single by Manny, and a walk to Lowell, pinch hitters Bobby Kielty (sac fly) and Kevin Youkilis (single) both drove in runs against a couple of stiffs named Boone Logan and Ehren Wasserman to provide the Sox with some breathing room at 7-3.

In the 9th that breathing room turned into a wide-open expanse as Boston tuned on their former reliever Mike Myers, getting seven consecutive batters to reach base before he could escape the inning.

By the time the dust settled the Sox had scored four more runs, on Lowell's deep double, another sac fly by Kielty, and Tek's 2-run scud to left that cleared the fence in about 2 seconds and also cleared the stands of any remaining White Sox fans.

Staked to an 11-3 lead Tito left Mike Timlin in for the 9th, and despite allowing a couple of two-out baserunners, he finally shut the door on what was a long-awaited, long-contested (nearly 4 hours) but ultimately satisfying win.

And guess what?

We get to do it all over again in just a couple of hours.

Some one get the Red Bulls!