Beckett steers Boston back on winning track

Sox 5, Detroit 1
WP: Beckett (4-2)
LP: Verlander (1-6)
SV: None
HRs: BOS- Youk (7); DET-None

SUMMARY:
Josh Beckett did what aces do - stop a losing streak by shutting down the opposing team. Becks rode the strength of a 13-hit attack and an early 3-0 lead to stymie the Tigers on six hits and a single run in seven innings as Boston took three of four in Motown.

SUPERSTAR: Youk 1-5, R, 2BI, HR
Hitting in Manny's 4-spot, Youk made like Ramirez when he launched a 2-run homer in the 5th inning that gave the Sox a more comfortable cushion and provided the final margin of 5-1. It was Youk's 4th homer of the series and 8th lifetime at Comerica.

No word if Mike Illitch tried to sign him to a pizza-laden contract after the game.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Curtis Granderson 0-4, 4K
Detroit's sparkplug from the leadoff position had a series to forget - 2-18 with 8 strikeouts - capped by this Golden Sombrero stinker. No wonder the Tiggers had such a horrible offensive series.

RECAP:
Now that's more like it.

After a heart wrenching loss last night, the Sox needed to end this series on a positive note lest they head to play the first place Twins riding a two game losing streak that would have destroyed all the momentum they had built during their five game winning streak.

Have no fear, RSN, because Josh Beckett was here.

Looking more and more like the Cy Young winner he should have been last year, Beckett (7IP, 6H, 1ER, 0BB, 8K) stifled the same Detroit bats that had drubbed Sox pitchers for 18 hits and 10 runs last night, leading his team to a series win as they head into the first place showdown at the Metrodome this weekend.

And it's a good thing he was as solid as he was tonight because Boston had numerous opportunities to blow the game open but they could not capitalize, leaving 10 mean on base including the bases loaded in the 8th inning.

But when your starting pitcher only has one bad inning that results in just one run scored, and your relievers finally come in and don't allow any runs, five runs is enough to win, especially against the reeling Tigers.

Boston would get all the runs it would need in the 2nd inning when eight men came to the plate and three of them scored when the Tigers had a terrible inning that typified their season thus far.

Mike Lowell, who had two more hits tonight and went 8-19 in th series, led off with a single to center against struggling Detroit starter Justin Verlander (6IP, 9H, 4ER, 1BB, 5K, HR), and JD Drew followed with a single to right. A wild pitch moved both runner up a base, and the Jason Varitek lined a shot off third baseman Carlos Guillen that trickled into left field, allowing not only Lowell but Drew to score.

On the ensuing throw to the plate the ball hit Drew and scooted away, allowing Tek to take second base, and then Coco Crisp (3-4) poured gas on the fire when he beat out another bunt hit to set up a 1st & 3rd, no out situation.

Verlander then did what everyone in the Nation would love to do - hit Lugo with a pitch - and when Jacoby Ellsbury lofted a sac fly to make it 3-0, it looked like the rout was on.

But Verlander got Dustin Pedroia to fly out and then fanned David Ortiz to end the threat, and Boston had to settle for a three run lead.

As it turned out, that was plenty.

Beckett worked out of a mini jam in the 3rd when Detroit got two on with two outs, but in the 4th he wasn't so fortunate. After recording two quick outs the Tigers rapped three straight hits off Becks, the last an RBI single by seldom-used shortstop Ramon Santiago, and the Boston lead was sliced to 3-1.

Fortunately for Boston Kevin Youkilis, aka the Comerica Killer, was up in the next inning, and after Ellsbury (2-4, R, BI) led off with a single Youk took the first pitch he saw from Verlander over the left field wall and just out of the reach of rookie Matt Joyce for a 2-run bomb that pushed the lead to 5-1 and let the entire Nation breathe a little easier.

It was Youk's 8th homer at the cavernous ballpark, the most - by a half dozen - that he has hit in any road park.

The rest of the game was a mere formality as Beckett kept mowing down Tiger batters, setting down 10 in a row to end his evening, including a strikeout of Brandon Inge to start the 7th which was the 1,000th K of the young stud's career.

Craig Hansen came in to pitch a 1-2-3 8th in relief of Beckett, and Manny Delcarmen tossed an uneventful 9th (although he did allow a hit, of course), and Boston avenged last night's soul-crushing loss with a decisive win.

Now it's off to that glorious stadium known as the Metrodome for a date with the surprising Twins. I'm gonna have to do some research as to which Sox hits the Teflon cover off that dreary dome.

RECORD: 23-14
AL EAST: Up 3.5 gms
STREAK: W1
LAST 10: 8-2
UP NEXT: Fri @ MIN 810 Lester vs. Bonser