BOSTON // Boston starter Josh Beckett looked back to his best on Sunday, delivering a dominant two-hit performance to lead the Red Sox to a 4-0 victory over bitter rivals the New York Yankees.
Coming off a difficult, injury-hit 6-6 season, the former World Series MVP blew away the Yankees with 10 strikeouts in eight innings as the Red Sox earned their second win of the three-game series with New York (5-4).
After getting the new season off to a dreadful 0-6 start, Boston regrouped in their first home series.
"I think we were just ready to come home," Beckett told reporters. "That was a pretty tough break, what we went through on the road."
Mike Cameron had an infield RBI single in the third inning and Marco Scutaro hit a two-RBI double in the seventh for Boston (2-7). Second baseman Dustin Pedroia continued his strong series with three hits and David Ortiz went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the eighth.
New York ace CC Sabathia left the game after 5 2/3 innings having allowed one run on nine hits with four walks.
Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain came on in the sixth and got the visitors out of a bases-loaded jam, but he was chased in the seventh.
Earlier in the day, the Red Sox announced they had reached a four-year contract extension with starting pitcher Clay Buchholz worth at least $30 million.
Buchholz is coming off a break out season with a 17-7 record and a 2.33 ERA but has struggled in his first two starts this season.
RESULTS (home team in CAPS):
Kansas City 9 DETROIT 5
Washington 7 NY METS 3 (11 innings)
Texas 3 BALTIMORE 0
Philadelphia 3 ATLANTA 0
Colorado 6 PITTSBURGH 5
HOUSTON 7 Florida 1
MILWAUKEE 6 Chicago Cubs 5
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 6 Tampa Bay 1
Oakland 5 MINNESOTA 3
LA ANGELS 3 Toronto 1
SAN DIEGO 7 LA Dodgers 2
St Louis 6 SAN FRANCISCO 1
Cleveland 6 SEATTLE 4
ARIZONA 10 Cincinnati 8
BOSTON 4 NY Yankees 0
