And that's just how the Red Sox like it.
As Beckett threw six scoreless innings to extend his streak to 18 1/3, the Yankees found themselves locked in turmoil over the odd circumstances surrounding veteran Jorge Posada, who removed himself from their lineup minutes before the game after reportedly being upset for batting ninth. Later, New York manager Joe Girardi was ejected moments after Adrian Gonzalez crushed another home run, an act that is sure to steal some of the headlines from Beckett. The postgame press conferences of both Posada and Girardi only added to the intrigue.
Through it all, Beckett reaffirmed that he is as locked in as he has ever been, which is saying something, considering the stretches he had in 2007 and 2009.
Beckett threw six scoreless innings in the 6-0 win. He struck out nine, walked two and allowed just four hits, all singles. His ERA now sits at 1.75, and the vaunted Yankees lineup has yet to score against him in 14 frames this year.
"He said he would come back [from 2010] with a vengeance," manager Terry Francona said. "Think he has."
Beckett is now 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA in his last seven starts. He has 45 strikeouts against only 11 walks in 46 1/3 innings during that period of time. It's a remarkable run that would have most hurlers on cloud nine.
Perhaps it's a good thing for Boston that Beckett is taking it all in stride, and even nitpicking a bit.
"I don't know about dominating," he said when asked how it felt to do so. "Six innings, 107 pitches. Fouling balls off and guys going pretty deep into counts…I think it would've been a little better if I could've eliminated a walk or something, pitched into the seventh."
Part of the reason Beckett did not go out for the seventh was the fact that the Red Sox scored four in the top half to break it open. No need to push the envelope with Beckett in a 6-0 game. Another cause was the Yankees' ability to generate a few threats early on. However, those situations simply offered up another chance to see Beckett at his best.
The first two New York hitters of the night, Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson, singled. It took Beckett four pitches to strike out Mark Teixeira, six to get Alex Rodriguez to pop to Adrian Gonzalez and just three to fan Robinson Cano.
Jeter and Granderson never moved a muscle.
Beckett struck out Rodriguez with two on and two out in the third and found himself in one more situation in the fifth after two men reached with one out. This time, Granderson popped to Jason Varitek, who caught the foul while standing in the "NY" behind home plate. A changeup, the pitch Varitek raved about after the game, then got Teixeira swinging at a third strike.
The Yankees never mounted another serious threat and Beckett could reflect on improving to 2-0 against the high-powered division rivals who had knocked him around in the past.
"You never know with these guys," he said. "I think they had first and second with less than two outs a couple of times. Just had to make pitches when I did. These guys are tough."
Most nights, they are. However, the Yankees are also in turmoil, a scenario that Beckett only made worse Saturday night in The Bronx. Even if nobody noticed.
