Josh Beckett Puts Up Another Strong Performance, Gets Red Sox a Series Win

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 20: Relief pitcher Alfredo Aceves #91 and Jarrod Saltalamacchia #39 of the Boston Red Sox bump chests after the final out was made against the Philadelphia Phillies in a MLB interleague baseball game on May 20, 2012 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Red Sox defeated the Phillies 5-1. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

For all the nonsense that's been spewed around this season, one thing has become clear for the Red Sox. Josh Beckett can still get the job done when he needs to.

The righty proved to his doubters again on Sunday that he can still be a frontline starter in the Sox' 5-1 win against the Phillies, putting together 7 2/3 innings of 1 run ball, with the only crooked number coming on Juan Pierre's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth.

Cliff Lee gave the Phillies 7 innings but a pair of homers put the game out of reach for the lefty. He allowed 9 H, 5 ER, 1 BB and struck out 6 in picking up his second loss of the season.

For a second consecutive night, the Red Sox' shortstop, Mike Aviles, led off the game with a homer and singled in a run in the second to put the Sox up 2-0. The 31 year old now has 8 HR, just one behind David Ortiz for the team lead.

Also hitting a homer in his second consecutive game was Jarrod Saltalamacchia, with a 3-run jack in the top of the third. In the two games since having his ear split open and stitched up, the Sox catcher has hit a pair of homers and drove in four runs.

Vicente Padilla got the final out in the eighth before making way to Alfredo Aceves in the ninth for a non-save situation. The righty recorded a strikeout in a clean inning of work to give the Sox a series win in Philly.





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