Red Sox News & Notes – 8/19

Starting pitcher Josh Beckett(notes) #19 of the Boston Red Sox wipes down his arm in the dugout during a game against the Kansas City Royals in the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium on August 18, 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri.

We always hear how much wins are a meaningless stat. We know this to be true when John Lackey is second on the team in wins with 11 while the best pitcher this season for the Boston Red Sox, Josh Beckett, had been stuck on nine wins for what seems like an eternity.

We also know that for Beckett, it’s not about how many wins he has but rather how he pitches and if the team gets a win. When they lose when he’s on the mound, he doesn’t make excuses. And when he gets the win, he’ll credit the team. That’s what great pitchers do. You’ll also hear the same thing when Jon Lester is on the mound.

The Red Sox offense hasn’t been kind to their best pitcher though this season. In his 23 previous starts, they were averaging 3.30 runs of support per game for him. Fortunately for Beckett last night, the Red Sox got four runs for him as he picked up what’s been an elusive 10th win of 2011 in a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals.

Beckett gave the Red Sox seven strong innings, scattering seven hits while allowing three runs with no walks and four strikeouts. The dynamic duo at the backend of the Red Sox bullpen, Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon, once again got the job done to preserve another Red Sox win.

I can honestly say that I don’t remember a better duo at the back end of a bullpen since the 1996 Yankees when Mariano Rivera was setting up for John Wetteland. Whenever Joe Torre went to the pair at the end of the game, you could just mark the W in the column before the game was over.

And for the most part in 2011, the case has been the same with Bard and Papelbon. Bard picked up his 29th hold which leads the AL and Paps picked up his 29th save which is good for 4th in the AL.

With Kevin Youkilis on the shelf for the next two weeks and David Ortiz out for at least a week, someone on the offense is going to need to step up. Last night it was Dustin Pedroia who came through when the Red Sox needed him.

He provided the first two runs of the game with a single in the 3rd inning. And he brought in the winning run with a single in the 5th inning. He finished with three hits on the night. Jason Varitek knocked in the first run of the game for the Red Sox with a single.

Former Yale catcher Ryan Lavarnway made his MLB debut last night and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. However, he did show good plate discipline. He’ll more than likely be the DH until Big Papi returns from his heel bursitis injury.

Last night’s solid team win helped the Red Sox stay a ½ game behind the Yankees for first in the AL East. Unless something catastrophic happens, both of these teams are heading to the postseason. It’s just a matter of who is the division winner and who is the winner of the wild card.

For us here in Red Sox Nation, we hope to see the Red Sox as the AL East champions.

We’ll be back later today with the lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and more for tonight’s game. But for now enjoy the overnight links from the media by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

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Red Sox reload on road [Boston Globe]

A chance to catch Lavarnway’s act [Boston Globe]

Youkilis forced to DL [Boston Globe]

Gedman eyes son’s progress [Boston Globe]

Red Sox look to stars to beat Royals [Boston Herald]

Sox call upon young slugger Ryan Lavarnway [Boston Herald]

Red Sox lineup takes another hit [Boston Herald]

Tired-but-true excuse by Red Sox [Boston Herald]

Daniel Bard: MLB players ‘eventually’ will agree to HGH testing [Clubhouse Insider]

Sox grind out win over Royals, 4-3 [CSN New England]

Pedroia key ingredient for Red Sox [CSN New England]