BOSTON — With three shutouts in six postseason starts, Josh Beckett was drawing comparisons to some of baseball’s all-time greats before the opening game of the American League Championship Series. But while the Boston Red Sox right-hander’s bid to join Hall-of-Famer Christy Mathewson with a fourth was abruptly derailed in the first inning Friday night, there was still plenty of room for praise.
Decidedly nonplussed by Travis Hafner’s blast, Beckett proceeded to dominate the decidedly overmatched Cleveland Indians. Scattering four hits over six innings, Beckett struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter in yielding a pair of runs that barely registered in the Red Sox’s 10-3 victory at Fenway Park.
“He gave us just what we needed,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “When you’re facing a guy like (Indians starter) C.C. (Sabathia), you’d better have somebody you believe in.”
And, short of Mathewson, another hurler of ancient vintage, Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown and Whitey Ford, the other men with three playoff shutouts, that means Beckett. While not quite as spectacular as his previous start, a complete-game four-hitter in a 4-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels in the division series, Beckett was never in any real danger Friday.
Afterward, Indians manager Eric Wedge allowed that Beckett “threw the ball well,” which is kind of like saying the Rockies have been on a bit of a hot streak. Then again, the visiting skipper may have been preoccupied with trying to find a way to get his team back on track before things spiral out of control.
Granted it was just Game 1, but even this early in the proceedings, one can find any number of disconcerting developments for the Indians. For one thing, there was the apparent unwillingness to challenge the Red Sox lineup, particularly David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. On Friday, the Nos. 3 and 4 hitters in Francona’s lineup went 4-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch and a combined five walks. Both of Ramirez’s passes came with the bases loaded.
It may have been that the Indians had somehow picked up a copy of the Los Angeles Angels’ scouting report – in the opening-round sweep of the AL West champions, Boston’s dynamic duo was not only 8-for-15, but also walked on another 11 occasions.
In 36 postseason plate appearances, Ortiz and Ramirez have reached base 29 times.
“The law of averages says they have to make an out sometime,” Boston first baseman Kevin Youkilis said, “but I don’t know.”
Wedge also has to consider that Sabathia may be wearing down at the conclusion of a long year. During the regular season, the burly lefty was 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA. However, Sabathia threw a career- and major-league-high 241 innings in compiling those gaudy numbers, and in his two postseason starts, he’s barely gotten out of the bullpen.
In Game 1 of the division series against the New York Yankees, Sabathia gave up three runs in five innings. On Friday he didn’t even see the fifth frame, getting shelled for eight runs on seven hits in just 4 1/3 innings.
“I don’t think fatigue is a factor,” Wedge said. “I think sometimes, C.C., his heart gets in the way. He tries to do a little bit too much. It’s one of the many reasons he’s such a great pitcher and a great teammate … but he just doesn’t need to try to do more than what he normally does, because what he is, it’s pretty good.”
Not on Friday, and certainly not in comparison to Beckett, who, despite insisting otherwise, finds himself being measured against legends.
“I don’t know, I’m just trying to execute pitches,” he said. “If you start buying into all that other stuff, all it does is create distractions.”
Anthony Cotton: 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com
