In Beckett's return, Red Sox get tremendously important win over Rays

Josh Beckett came up big for Boston, helping the team get their first win over Tampa Bay in their past seven tries. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

The Boston Red Sox entered Friday night’s battle with the Tampa Bay Rays having lost seven of nine overall and their past six meetings against their AL East foe. The gap between the two teams was only three games, but Boston refused to panic. This is because they have a superb veteran-laden core headed by Terry Francona, one of the coolest customers in the game. He is going to trust his players and ride them to whatever destination. And they are going to give him everything they have to offer.

On this night, trust and effort had to lead to a win. And, in such a pressurized situation, who better to give the ball to than Josh Beckett. The ace hadn’t pitched in 11 days, missing time with an injured ankle, and there was uncertainty as to whether he was fully recovered. He had a rough first inning, allowing two runs, but delivered overall, striking out seven Rays in six solid innings. Beckett was back, and considering the starting pitching woes of late, his return and ensuing performance was a sight for very sore eyes.

“Guys scrapped together, put enough runs up there,” he said postgame. “The first inning, obviously, was a debacle, and that’s kinda been me throughout my whole career. If you can get to me in the first inning, that’s fine, but you just have to buckle down and make pitches when you need to.”

He did that, shaking off the poor start–something his predecessors have had trouble doing. Getting those two runs from his offense back in the bottom of the first against James Shields only helped matters, easing the load on Beckett’s broad shoulders. As he settled down and kept a very confident Tampa Bay offense at bay, Boston’s bats rewarded him with runs in the third and fourth–the latter, breaking a 3-all tie as the eventual game-deciding run, came on a Mike Aviles blast over the Green Monster.

Beckett’s role was pivotal, but he certainly didn’t think he played the biggest in a monumental victory.

“I pitched six innings, you know. I think there’s a lot of people that did a lot more for this game than I did. I made the pitches I needed to, basically from the second through the sixth. Things worked out, but I think our offense and our defense really picked me up. They really deserve the credit.”

So does the bullpen. Alfredo Aceves, Daniel Bard, and Jonathan Papelbon combined to strike out eight batters in three innings; Bard and Papelbon struck out the side in the eighth and ninth. What Aceves and Papelbon did wasn’t surprising. What Bard did, however, was. After allowing eight runs over his previous three outings, he was the recognizable version, blowing the Rays away. And, even with his recent struggles, Beckett couldn’t be happier for or more confident in the 26-year-old.

“I told him the other day, there isn’t anybody I would rather have in my foxhole than him. He’s Daniel Bard. I don’t know what everybody else is saying, but I want him pitching the eighth every game I start for the rest of my career.”

Bard sure did in one of the biggest starts in Beckett’s career to date, and the most important game of the season for the Red Sox. It’s no less important than the next, however, bound to be a similarly nail-biting battle. The ball is in the hands of Beckett’s partner in crime, Jon Lester.

Tampa Bay could win the final two games of the series and cut the AL East Wild Card lead to two. But, for now, Boston’s confidence is as high as it has been in weeks. They know that this victory will remain pivotal only if they keep defeating Tampa Bay. Play as they are so used to at Fenway Park, and they can watch their advantage grow. Will they rise to the challenge?

“We kinda put ourselves in a little bit of a position where all the wins are going to be big from here on out, even when we are playing teams we’re not actually in the race with,” Beckett said. “I think this was only our second win, something like that, in September. I mean, it feels good. We’re a good team. We’re not lacking in effort. We get a few guys healthy, and we’ll see what happens.”