Roughly three weeks later, Beckett is the team MVP, its definitive stopper and the biggest positive in an otherwise miserable start for Boston. Realistically, he was always that guy in the eyes of those that depend upon him.
“He’s always been the leader of the staff,” manager Terry Francona said after Beckett allowed one run in seven innings of a 4-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.
“I know he didn’t pitch Opening Day, but guys look up to him. When he’s going good and he’s feeling good about himself, he’s got that, I don’t know if it’s persona or swagger, I don’t know how you want to say it. He gives our ballclub a lot of confidence.”
He also is one of the only guys giving the team wins. Beckett’s effort Saturday followed up his dominant start Sunday vs. the New York Yankees. The Red Sox did not win a game during the six-day stretch in between.
Against the free-swinging Jays, Beckett once again showcased a varied arsenal with almost everything working in sync. He said he had some problems with the changeup, but his curveball was vintage Beckett and the cutter, which he began to use more once the changeup didn’t feel right, was just as good.
The attack has enabled Beckett to strike out 19 in 15 innings over the back-to-back gems. He has walked just three while holding opponents to a .102 (5-for-49) average.
Following the effort, Beckett made a point of telling reporters he feels it is time to move on from questions about 2010, during which he struggled through injuries and ineffectiveness. Still, he knows that what he’s doing now is such a far cry from last season.
“Execution-wise and health-wise I definitely think my last two starts have been a notch above where I was last year,” Beckett said. “I know I stunk last year. We all know that. I think we need to move forward a little bit.”
Those 2010 questions should dissipate in time, not only because he has had two superb starts in a row, but because the 30-year-old Beckett has exorcised some demons from the difficult campaign. If you take Beckett’s starts against the Yankees and Blue Jays out his injury-shortened 2010, he is a perfectly respectable 5-3 with a 4.12 ERA. With those difficult encounters thrown in, it was a painful season to watch. He surrendered 40 earned runs in 36 innings against those American League East rivals last year.
In 2011, New York and Toronto have combined for eight base runners in 15 innings vs. the right-hander, whose week has provided a major boost to a team that has otherwise languished through the first two weeks of the season.
“Absolutely,” catcher Jason Varitek replied when asked about that very boost. “We need quality starts. Period … That’s what this team needs to do is pitch well, quality start after quality start. That’s what’s going to get this team going.”
Varitek referenced how the Red Sox had the opportunity to blow out the Blue Jays on Saturday, but they wasted several scoring chances. Boston was 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base. That comes after a maddening offensive performance in Beckett’s last start, when the Sox left 16 runners on and pitched with a one-run lead for almost the entire game.
Beckett’s margin for error both times was very little. His execution, however, was just as fine.
“He was very good,” Francona said. “That’s two in a row.”
Now, if the Red Sox can only duplicate that streak, rather than wait five more days for their “No. 4” starter to right the ship once again.
