Haren outpitches Beckett in Diamondbacks' 2-1 win

[June 24, 2008]  BOSTON (AP) -- Dan Haren was dominant over seven shutout innings, limiting Boston to just two hits and outpitching Josh Beckett in the Arizona Diamondbacks' 2-1 win over the Red Sox on Monday night.

The Diamondbacks, swept by Minnesota over the weekend, have won just seven of their past 21 road games. Boston dropped to 1-3 on its current six-game homestand after winning 19 of its previous 22 in Fenway Park.

Haren (8-4) walked one and fanned five in his best outing of the season, winning his fifth consecutive start.

Tony Pena allowed J.D. Drew's eighth-inning, bases-loaded sacrifice fly, but Manny Ramirez lined to third with two runners on to end the inning.

Brandon Lyon worked the ninth for his 16th save in 18 chances.

Acquired from Oakland last winter in an eight-player deal, Haren was nearly unhittable over the first six innings, holding Boston to just Jason Varitek's third-inning double and one walk.

Beckett (7-5) gave up both runs and five hits in eight innings, striking out eight. He allowed two runs or fewer for the fifth time in six starts.

Arizona broke a scoreless game in the seventh on Chris Young's RBI double and Chris Snyder's run-producing ground out. Young doubled off the Green Monster after Conor Jackson walked leading off and Mark Reynolds singled one out later.

Snyder then hit a roller to first that Brandon Moss, who made his major league debut at the position when regular Kevin Youkilis left after getting his in the face with a warmup throw, bobbled when he appeared to want to throw home before picking the ball up and tagging Young. Reynolds scored easily on the play.

Drew's sacrifice fly cut it to 2-1 in the bottom half.

Beckett had worked out of trouble twice earlier in the game, giving up Orlando Hudson's two-out double in the first before retiring Conor Jackson on a bouncer to short. Justin Upton doubled with one out in the third, but he was stranded when Eric Byrnes flied to the left-field warning track and Stephen Drew struck out.

Boston had runners on first and second with one out in the seventh after Ramirez was hit by a pitch and Mike Lowell singled, but Moss grounded out on a dribbler down the first-base line and Varitek struck out.

Varitek's hit broke a personal-worst 0-for-24 stretch.

Youkilis left the game prior to the top of the fifth after getting hit under the right eye by Lowell's one-hop throw during infield warmups. He was taken for a precautionary CT scan.

Chad Tracy struck out looking three times against Beckett.

Notes: Red Sox backup 1B Sean Casey dropped his appeal and began serving his three-game suspension for his part in a brawl against Tampa Bay on June 5. ... Byrnes was activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game after being sidelined with a right hamstring strain since May 27 and optioned OF Alex Romero to Triple-A Tucson. ... Beckett, the major's only 20-game winner last season, has never thrown a shutout with the Red Sox. His last came with the Florida Marlins on April 10, 2005, against Washington. ... The game's start was delayed by rain for 32 minutes.

[Associated Press; By MIKE FITZPATRICK]

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