G88: Red Sox 6, Royals 0

Royals  - 000 000 000 - 0  3  0
Red Sox - 100 310 01x - 6 10  0

Beckett: 9-3-0-0-7, 94. 100th career W.

Beckett started strong, retiring the first nine batters, including four of the first five on strikeouts. He gave up a leadoff double to David DeJesus in the fourth and then set down the next nine Royals.

He allowed two singles and an HBP in the seventh, but kept the shutout intact thanks to a 463 DP. He faced only three batters over the minimum.

Aaron Bates doubled twice and singled,with a run and RBI; Kevin Youkilis singled twice; and Rocco Baldelli and Dustin Pedroia both singled and doubled. Nick Green scored two runs. Jacoby Ellsbury stole his 40th base of the year.

Jason Bay did not have an official at-bat. In fact, he did not even see a strike until the eighth inning, on the Royals' 16th pitch to him.

1st: Ball, ball, ball, ball
3rd: Ball, ball, ball, ball
4th: Ball, ball, ball, ball
6th: HBP
8th: Ball, ball, swing/miss, ball, foul, foul, HBP

KC pitchers handed out nine free passes: three to Bay, three to Green, two to Jason Varitek, and one to Pedroia.

Robinson Tejada relieved Chen in the fourth and faced eight batters. Of his 41 pitches, the Red Sox put only three of them into play. His line: 1-0-2-4-1.

***

Bruce Chen (6.88, 62 ERA+) / Josh Beckett (3.62, 128 ERA+)

Beckett will try for his 100th career victory this afternoon.

Chen missed all of 2008 after TJ surgery and has made three starts this year (17-16-6-10).