Beckett Returning to Form

Beckett's competitive fire is what has made
him an ace over his career.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Josh Beckett is starting to look like his old self, coming off the worst year of his 11-year career in 2010.

The hard-throwing right-hander was one of many Red Sox hampered by injuries a year ago and only made 21 starts, compiling 127.1 innings during that time. To go along with those numbers, Beckett was 6-6 with a 5.78 earned run average and a horrific 1.54 WHIP.

Beckett has been one of the more consist parts of the 2011 Red Sox team after they have gotten out of gate rather slow, starting the year 12-15, last in the American League East.

Beckett started the season with a rocky start in Cleveland only going five innings, allowing four earned runs, while striking out and walking four a piece and was saddled with the loss.

Since that time, Beckett has started four other games, going 2-1 with a 2.65 ERA. He has held opponents to a .169 average and struck out 32 batters compared to just nine walks. The turn around came in his second start of the year on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball against the hated rival New York Yankees. Beckett's career numbers against New York were anything, but good heading into the start. He was 10-7 with a 6.26 ERA in 22 career starts.

The fact that the Red Sox have averaged 6.0 runs per game in those starts has help translate to a winning record.

Last season, Beckett was even worse against the Yankees, posting a 1-2 record with a 10.04 ERA. He also allowed nine of the 20 home runs he gave up in '10 to the Bronx Bombers and surrendered a .339 average.

His first start against them this season was much different.

Beckett tossed eight scoreless innings, allowing only two hits, while striking out 10 New York hitters. In his next two starts since then, Beckett went at least seven-plus innings and allowed two or fewer runs in both, striking out 14. In his most recent outing against the division rival Baltimore Orioles, he went six strong innings, but gave up four runs.

Only one conclusion can be drawn to Beckett's turn around and it belongs to team captain and longtime catcher Jason Varitek. Varitek is no longer the starting catcher in Boston and hasn't been the last two seasons, but is still one of the best game callers in Major League Baseball.

He might be the main reason why the Red Sox have seen this turn around with Beckett.

Varitek has caught Beckett four of his first five starts this season, posting a 2.17 ERA in those starts. The only start Varitek did not catch just so happens to be his only loss and worst start of the year against the Indians.

The veteran backstop is only batting .111 on the year, but his value to the Sox is so much more than offensive numbers and that is apparent with those statistics. Varitek is also the only catcher in Major League Baseball history to be behind the plate for four no-hitters and for that is highly regarded by his piers.

Beckett has put together a quite an impressive resume over his career and his ability to bounce back does not come as a surprise. The 6-foot-5 Texan was drafted first-round of the 1999 amateur draft by the Florida Marlins. Moving quickly through the system, Beckett was named America's Minor League Player of the Year back in 2001.

Shortly there after, he would go on and help the Marlins win their second World Series title in franchise history and would named the Most Valuable Player of the series, tossing a complete game shutout in the series-clinching Game 6 at Yankee Stadium back in 2003.

2007 was Beckett's best season statistically, winning a Major League-best 20 games and posting a 3.27 ERA. He would finish second in the AL Cy Young voting, losing out to Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia.

Although, Beckett would get the best of Sabathia that year in the postseason. With the Indians leading three games to one in the ALCS, the Sox would rally to win three straight to win the series, shocking Sabathia and Co.. It was that much sweeter for Beckett as the Red Sox beat Sabathia in the series' decisive seventh game.

Beckett would go on to help Boston sweep the Colorado Rockies in the World Series for their second championship in four years.

'Tek' as his teammates call him,
may be the secret behind
Beckett's resurgence.

The two-time All-Star would have a string of two consecutive Opening Day starts snapped earlier this season after manager Terry Francona decided to give left-hander Jon Lester the nod in Arlington to start the year.

Beckett has responded to the criticism with results and vengeance.

Since 2009, Beckett has struggled in the month of April, accumulating a 7.22 ERA. It was important for the Red Sox to see him to get off to a fast start and if he hadn't nobody knows where this team would be. Still only 30, Beckett is signed through the 2014 season after signing a contract extension prior to the of last season.

The Red Sox will need Beckett along with veteran John Lackey if they want to reach expectations they have set for themselves.

Once known as just a thrower, the Red Sox right-hander looks to have developed into a complete pitcher.

Beckett's next start is scheduled for Tuesday in Fenway Park against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, a team he dominated April 21.

Watch out baseball, the hard throwing Texan looks to have returned, if he was ever gone.

Where's the Panic Button in Boston?

Darnell McDonald is tagged out at second,
handing the Red Sox their sixth straight
loss Thursday.

When Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein went out and brought in left-handers sluggers, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, this offseason, expectations went through the roof in 2011.

The Red Sox have gotten out of the gate rather slow losing their first six games to open the season. Being swept by the defending American League champion, Texas Rangers is condonable given the series was played in Arlington. However, losing to a Cleveland Indian team that won all of 69 games a year ago and 24 games under .500, is unacceptable.

Boston has five starters batting under .200 to begin the year and three others under .250. The only starter that is batting over .300 through the first six games is Gonzalez with a batting average at .305.

There is no question a lineup as deep as Boston's will not stay this cold the entire season. The question mark on this Red Sox team is their pitching staff. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz both had breakout campaigns in 2010, but it's the veterans that are raising the concerns.

2003 World Series Most Valuable Player Josh Beckett is coming off an injury plagued year, where he only made 21 starts with six wins and an earned run average at 5.78. Even though John Lackey pitched 215 innings his first year in Boston, more than an other Red Sox starter, it was not the type of year the Sox expected when the signed him to that five-year $82 million deal.

Those veterans will need to bounce back if Boston wants to reach the expectations that have set for themselves over the last decade.

So far the pitching has not been anything but spectacular. Four of the Red Sox first six losses have come at the hands of their starters. The other two coming from flame throwing set-up man Daniel Bard, whose ERA is 16.88 to start the year.

Boston's pitching staff as a whole has given up 14 home runs and 38 total runs in their six-game tail spin.

The last time a team started the season on a losing streak and won the World Series was none another than the hated New York Yankees. In 1998, the Yankees started off 0-3 and went on to win 114 regular season games and Major League record 125 games, including the postseason. It should be noted that no team has ever started 0-4 and won the World Series in the same year.

The Red Sox have a huge weekend series with New York starting Friday afternoon, it's their 99th Opening Day in Fenway Park. If the Red Sox open up the season 0-7, they will try and do something no other team has done after losing their first seven contests, make the postseason.

If history stays true, the boo birds will be out and it will be another disappointing season for the Fenway Faithful.

Lester Could Win First Cy Young in 2011

We may have not seen the best of Jon Lester.

Boston Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester has already accomplished so much in his short career with the best yet to come.

Lester was diagnosed with lymphoma back in 2006 and beat it. In the 2007 World Series, Lester won the series-clinching Game 4 in Colorado against the Colorado Rockies. In May of 2008, the two-time All-Star pitched the 18th no-hitter in Red Sox history in front the of Fenway Faithful. In 2010, Lester was among the games best pitchers winning a career-high 19 games and struck out 225 batters.

Lester has no question been the workhorse of the Red Sox staff the last couple of years, pitching 200-plus innings each of the last three seasons.

With such high expectations in Boston this season, Lester seems to be in the center of it. Manager Terry Francona has already said that Lester will be their Opening Day starter in Texas, something that Josh Beckett has done each of the last two seasons.

Even though Lester has been a good starting pitcher in the big leagues, winning at least 15 games the last three seasons, it could be a breakout season for the young man from Tacoma, Washington.

With right-handers Beckett and John Lackey coming off sub par seasons in '10, Lester will need to get out of the gate quickly and avoid another slow start like he has the past two years. His last two Aprils, the lefty has posted a 5.40 and 7.20 earned run average, respectively. Most people around baseball feel that Lester possessions the best stuff from the left side in baseball.

Lester will look to put it all together in 2011 and add his first Cy Young to his laundry list of accomplishments at the young age 27.