Beckett outpitches Danks as Red Sox beat White Sox

[August 12, 2008]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Josh Beckett pitched eight strong innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Chicago White Sox 5-1 Monday night even though John Danks took a no-hitter into the seventh.

Kevin Youkilis' broken-bat single ended the no-hit bid, and J.D. Drew's two-run double put Boston ahead 2-1. Jed Lowrie added a two-run double in the ninth as the Red Sox gained a four-game split and moved within four games of first-place Tampa Bay in the AL East.

While Danks retired his first 17 batters, the White Sox did little against Beckett (11-8). They fell out of first place in the AL Central, a half-game behind Minnesota.

Beckett yielded seven hits, struck out eight and did not walk a batter for his second consecutive win.

Danks (9-5) did not allow a base runner until he hit Jacoby Ellsbury with a pitch in the sixth. Youkilis' single to center with one out in the seventh momentarily drew boos from a crowd anticipating the first White Sox no-hitter since Mark Buehrle's gem against Texas on April 18, 2007.

The fans then let out loud cheers for Danks, but a 1-0 lead quickly turned into a 2-1 deficit. Mike Lowell walked and, after Jason Bay struck out, Drew drove a double to deep center.

Danks took his first loss since May 24 despite allowing just two hits and two walks while tying a career high with nine strikeouts in seven innings. He was 6-0 in his previous 13 starts and was as sharp as he's been all season on Monday.

He changed speeds, hit his spots, and the result was one off-balance swing after another.

The crowd roared when Drew struck out swinging at a high fastball to end the fifth, and the anticipation continued to build. There were groans when Danks hit Ellsbury with a 1-1 pitch in the sixth, but Coco Crisp grounded out to end the inning.

Dustin Pedroia opened the seventh with a fly to left before Youkilis broke up the no-hit bid.

After Lowrie's two-run double, Ellsbury added an RBI single to make it 5-1.

The White Sox scored in the third, when Nick Swisher led off with a single and scored on A.J. Pierzynski's sacrifice fly.

Notes: The Red Sox held the slumping David Ortiz out of the lineup to rest his surgically repaired left wrist. ... Chicago's Ken Griffey Jr., who missed the previous two games with general soreness, moved into a tie with George Brett for 16th place on the career list with 5,044 total bases when he singled leading off the fifth. ... White Sox slugger Carlos Quentin got hit by Beckett's pitch in the eighth, the fifth straight game he's been plunked. He's been hit an AL-high 19 times this season. ... Chicago RHP Scott Linebrink, on the disabled list since July 26 with right shoulder inflammation, wasn't sure when he'll return after having it re-examined. "It is taking a little bit longer than originally expected," he said.

[Associated Press; By ANDREW SELIGMAN]

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.