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Red Sox turn to Beckett to close out series with Royals

Jul 28, 2011 - 2:48 PM (Sports Network) - The Boston Red Sox have had to come from behind to win their last two games. Today, that might not be necessary, as Josh Beckett takes the hill for the Red Sox in the finale of their four-game series against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park.

Beckett has won five of his last six overall decisions and is a perfect 6-0 lifetime against the Royals with a 2.26 ERA in eight starts.

The 31-year-old right-hander was terrific in beating the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, holding them to a run and seven hits in seven innings to improve to 9-3, while lowering his ERA to 2.07. He had allowed just one hit in eight scoreless innings of a no-decision in his previous start.

Like it did two nights ago, Kansas City jumped out to an early first-inning lead on Wednesday. Boston, though, answered back by scoring 10 runs over the first four innings in its 12-5 triumph.

David Ortiz, who had four hits and five RBI in Tuesday's 13-9 win, continued his power surge with a grand slam, while Dustin Pedroia extended his career- best hitting streak to 24 games. Ortiz's fourth-inning homer gave him 1,000 RBI in a Red Sox uniform.

"[Tuesday] night the middle of the order had a bunch of hits. Tonight I think it was 1-2-3, pretty significant contribution," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

The top three hitters of Jacoby Ellsbury, Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez combined to go 9-for-13 with seven RBI.

Eric Hosmer hit a three-run homer in the top of the first off John Lackey, but Ellsbury went deep off the pole in right to start the bottom of the frame. Pedroia was up next and homered on a 2-2 pitch, smacking the seventh pitch of his at-bat over the Green Monster. It was his 14th homer of the year.

The hitting streak for Pedroia is the longest in the American League this season and the longest ever for a Red Sox second baseman. Del Pratt hit in 23 straight during the 1922 season.

Lackey (9-8) surrendered a season-high 11 hits along with four runs -- three earned -- over 5 2/3 innings to win his fourth straight start.

Gonzalez drove in three runs for the AL East leaders, who are 18-4 this month.

Bruce Chen (5-4) was charged with 10 hits and 10 runs over four innings for the Royals, who won the opener of this four-game series, 3-1, in 14 innings on Monday.

"He wasn't anywhere near as sharp," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He really struggled to command the strike zone, had a 114 pitches after four innings and just couldn't command the ball and throw it where he wanted to and Bruce is usually pretty good at doing that."

Hosmer knocked in four and Billy Butler belted a solo homer in the fifth inning in defeat.

Heading to the hill this afternoon for the Royals will be righty Luke Hochevar, who is 6-8 with a 5.29 ERA. Hochevar beat the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, but allowed four runs and six hits with three walks in 5 1/3 innings.

Hochevar, who is unbeaten in his last five starts, is 1-3 in four starts against the Red Sox and has pitched to a 7.94 ERA in those outings.

The Red Sox narrowly eked out a 4-3 series win against Kansas City last season. Boston has also won 11 of the last 15 at home against the Royals.