Josh Beckett showed why he is the Red Sox ace on Sunday at Fenway Park, pitching a complete game 3-hitter to lead the Sox over the Royals 6-0.  Beckett was on top of his game like never before.  He needed only 94 pitches (66 for strikes) to finish of the complete game and was masterful in mixing up speeds and pitches all day long.  It also helps when you have a nasty 95+ MPH fastball that moves like crazy as it approcahes the plate.  Beckett gave up only 3 hits and only 1 other base runner on a HBP.  He had seven 1-2-3 innings and only ran into trouble once – in the 7th inning – when he gave up singles to Mitch Maier and Mark Teahen.  He then hit Jose Guillen with a pitch to load the bases with only 1 out.  But Beckett coaxed Pena into an inning-ending double-play, and the rest was history.  He struck out 7 Royals, lowered his ERA to 3.35 and his WHIP to 1.15 and picked up his 100th career win in the process.  Pretty incredible.

The Red Sox bats struck early and often on Sunday.  Kevin Youkilis gave the Red Sox a 1-0 1st inning lead with an RBI single.  The Red Sox used a 3-run 4th inning to open up a 4-0 lead for Beckett.  Aaron Bates had an RBI double, David Ortiz hit and RBI groundout, and Jason Varitek drew a walk with the bases loaded to knock in another run.  The Red Sox added insurance runs in the 5th inning on a Jacoby Ellsbury double-play groundout that scored Nick Green and in the 8th inning on a Rocco Baldelli double that scored David Ortiz.  Bates had 3 hits for the Red Sox and is now hitting .364.  Baldelli, Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia each had 2 hits for the Red Sox.

An interesting stat – Jason Bay reached base 5 times, but never put the ball in play.  Bay drew 3 walks and was hit by pitches twice.

The Red Sox finished the 1st half of the season 20 games over .500 with a 54-34 record.  With the Angels sweeping the Yankees in Anaheim, the Red Sox opened up a 3-game lead in the AL East.  The Rays are in 3rd place 6.5 games behind the Red Sox.  All-in-all a great start to the 2009 MLB schedule for the Red Sox…