Mr. Zero is Beantown's Hero - Along With Big Papi, of Course

Oct 04, 07:23 AM

Current Headlines: By JIMMY GOLEN

By Jimmy Golen

The Associated Press

BOSTON

Josh Beckett waited four years between postseason starts. When he got back on the mound, nothing much changed. He's still Mr. Zero when October rolls around.

The 2003 World Series MVP pitched his second consecutive postseason shutout Wednesday night, backed by a two-run homer from David Ortiz that helped the Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-0 in their AL Division Series opener.

Beckett retired 19 straight batters after a leadoff single, allowing just four hits to run his postseason scoreless streak to 18 innings. His three postseason shutouts tie Whitey Ford and Mordecai Brown for second on the career list, one behind Christy Mathewson.

"He's a guy that wants to be great," said Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell, who came to Boston from the Marlins in the same trade as Beckett. "He doesn't want to be pretty good. He wants to be the best guy that takes the mound. That's what you want from your ace."

It was Beckett's first postseason appearance since blanking the New York Yankees on three days' rest to clinch the '03 Series for Florida. The last pitcher with consecutive postseason shutouts was current teammate Curt Schilling, who accomplished the feat with the Phillies in 1993 and Arizona in 2001.

"You don't change a lot of things just because now you're in the postseason," Beckett said. "You do what made you successful to get here."

The only 20-game winner in the majors this year, Beckett struck out eight and walked none to improve to 3-2 with a 1.74 ERA in the postseason. He threw 83 of his 108 pitches for strikes and started 21 of the last 23 batters with first-pitch strikes, including 15 in a row.

The victory was Boston's seventh straight in the postseason over the California-Anaheim-Los Angeles Angels, having come back from a 3- 1 deficit to win in the 1986 AL playoffs and then sweeping them in the 2004 best-of-five first round.

It was Ortiz who eliminated the Angels with a 10th-inning, series- ending homer in the first round of the 2004 playoffs. Big Papi hurt them again this year.

Kevin Youkilis homered in the first off Los Angeles ace John Lackey, then doubled with one out in the second. Ortiz, who needed a cortisone shot in his ailing right knee on Saturday, followed with his ninth postseason homer to make it 3-0.

"This is his time of year, too," Youkilis said. "For David to come out and have a big hit is always good. Because when David's confidence is high, this team succeeds."

Lackey won 19 games - second only to Beckett - but he couldn't keep up Wednesday. Lackey allowed four runs, nine hits and two walks, striking out four in six innings.

"With Beckett pitching that way, it's going to be tough," Lackey said. "You've got to hold down that kind of lineup with not getting much from your side."

After Ortiz's homer in the third, Lackey walked Manny Ramirez and put him on second with a wild pitch before Lowell's single made it 4- 0.

Boston rookie Daisuke Matsuzaka will face Kelvim Escobar in Game 2 on Friday.

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