BOSTON - Josh Beckett became Boston's second 10-game winner, fellow all-star Jason Bay hit his 20th homer, and the Red Sox beat the Oakland Athletics, 5-2, last night.
Beckett (10-3) matched the win total of another Boston all-star, Tim Wakefield, and remained unbeaten at home this season with five wins in eight starts.
Bay, the top vote-getter among AL outfielders for Tuesday's game, hit a solo shot in the second inning, his first home run since June 23.
Jonathan Papelbon, who also made the all-star team, struck out the side in the ninth for his 21st save in 23 opportunities.
The Red Sox got nine hits off Dana Eveland (1-3) and four relievers one night after managing just two hits off rookie Brett Anderson in his 6-0 complete-game victory. That was the third loss in four games for the team with the AL's best record (50-33).
Scott Hairston broke Beckett's streak of 23 innings at Fenway Park without an earned run when he homered with the bases empty in the first inning, just two days after being acquired in a trade with San Diego, where he hit 10 homers.
Beckett retired 12 of the next 13 batters, allowing only a two-out single by Jack Cust in the second. But with two outs in the fifth, Ryan Sweeney doubled, Mark Ellis walked and Adam Kennedy drove in a run that cut Boston's lead to 4-2.
Beckett left with two outs in the seventh after Kurt Suzuki reached on an error by third baseman Kevin Youkilis and took second on an infield single by Ellis. Hideki Okajima replaced Beckett and ended the threat by retiring Kennedy on a groundout.
Beckett gave up six hits and a walk while striking out four.
Oakland 100 010 000 – 2 7 0
Boston 022 001 00x – 5 9 1
Oakland AB R H BI Avg. Boston AB R H BI Avg.
Kennedy 3b 4 0 1 1 .295 J.Drew rf 5 1 1 0 .259
O.Cabrera ss 4 0 0 0 .250 Pedroia 2b 3 0 1 1 .290
Hairston cf 4 1 1 1 .297 Youkilis 3b 4 0 0 0 .291
Holliday lf 4 0 1 0 .275 Bay lf 3 2 2 1 .265
Giambi 1b 4 0 0 0 .195 D.Ortiz dh 3 1 1 0 .223
K.Suzuki c 4 0 1 0 .284 Varitek c 4 0 2 2 .243
Cust dh 4 0 1 0 .225 Ellsbury cf 3 1 2 0 .303
