Josh Beckett anchored the starting staff during the Red Sox' recent road trip.
Despite the loss Sunday, Beckett had a solid outing.
He had a 1-2 record with a 5.03 ERA heading into the trip to Minnesota and Chicago, but by the end of the seven-game stint, the right-hander collected one more victory and lowered his ERA to 4.45.
"It was a pretty good road trip as a team — any time you can go to any big league ball club and sweep one and take three in another," Beckett said.
Although Beckett gave up three runs in Sunday's 4-1 loss to the White Sox, they were all in the first inning. After allowing a two-run shot to Adam Dunn, Beckett settled down and fanned eight batters over 6 2/3 innings.
It was a game that certainly impressed Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine.
"After [Dunn's] swing, he was lights-out," Valentine told reporters in Chicago. "He had everything working for him — his control, his command, his breaking ball. He pitched plenty enough to win, but we were up against a tough customer in [Gavin] Floyd."
In his last four games, Beckett boasts a 2.97 ERA. He has erased concerns about his thumb injury from the beginning of the month.
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