Article: Beckett Halts Red Sox Skid With 8-1 Win

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Josh Beckett's 20th win couldn't have come at a better time for the Boston Red Sox. The All-Star right-hander pitched six strong innings to become the first 20-game winner in the majors since 2005, and the Red Sox used late home runs by Jason Varitek, David Ortiz and Mike Lowell to pull away to an 8-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Friday night.

The victory snapped Boston's four-game losing streak and reduced the AL East-leading Red Sox's magic number to clinch at least a wild-card playoff berth to two.

Boston's skid, which included a three-game weekend sweep at Toronto, matched its longest of the season and allowed the surging New York Yankees to pull ...

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