Beckett is first to reach the sweet 16

CHICAGO -- Josh Beckett pitched through an uncharacteristically wild first inning to become the major leagues’ first 16-game winner.

Beckett walked three in the inning but held the Chicago White Sox to one run, and the Boston Red Sox won, 11-3, in the first game of a day-night doubleheader on Friday.

“Three walks. I definitely wasn’t too excited about that, but to get out of that inning with only one run, was a big deal. I was lucky,” Beckett said. “The guys picked me up and scored runs.”

Beckett (16-5) yielded seven hits and three runs over 5 2/3 innings and Jason Varitek had four runs batted in as the Red Sox put together a pair of four-run innings, one in the fourth and another in the ninth. David Ortiz homered twice and Kevin Youkilis had a three-run shot as the Red Sox routed the White Sox, 10-1, to complete the sweep.

The Red Sox bats kept rolling in the nightcap and made it easy for Curt Schilling (8-5), who gave up only three hits and a run in six innings.

Boston improved its major league-best record to 78-51. The White Sox have lost 11 of 13 and fell a season-low 16 games under .500.

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RESULTS

Seattle 4, at Texas 2: Jose Guillen drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the seventh inning. He homered with two out in the first inning, then ended a 2-2 tie with a single that scored Ichiro Suzuki. Felix Hernandez yielded three hits and struck out seven in six innings to improve to 4-0 over his last six starts. The Mariners have won seven of eight and 19 of 26.

at Kansas City 2, Cleveland 1: Zack Greinke and five relievers combined on a six-hitter and the Royals beat C.C. Sabathia and the Indians. Greinke, who replaced the injured Odalis Perez in the rotation and started for the first time since May 6, limited the Indians to one hit in three innings. John Bale replaced Greinke and yielded two singles and struck out five in three innings to pick up his first major league victory since Aug. 29, 2003, while with the Cincinnati Reds.

Minnesota 7, at Baltimore 4: The Twins trailed, 4-0, in the seventh inning before coming back to hand the Orioles their fourth consecutive loss. Jason Kubel led the way with a two-run homer in the seventh and a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Justin Morneau and Torii Hunter also homered to give the Twins their first three-homer game since July 23.

at Tampa Bay 12, Oakland 2: James Shields took a shutout into the ninth inning and the Devil Rays ended the A’s five-game winning streak. Shields (10-8) worked out of jams in the third and sixth innings. The only runs he gave up came with one out in the ninth, when Dan Johnson hit a two-run homer to right.

Boston 11-10, at Chicago 3-1: David Ortiz homered twice and Kevin Youkilis hit a three-run shot to give the Red Sox a sweep of the day-night doubleheader. Josh Beckett gained his major league-leading 16th win in the opener. The Red Sox broke the game open by scoring four runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by Jason Varitek’s bases-loaded, two-run single.

New York at Detroit, late

at Angels 3, Toronto 0: The Angels are a major league-best 43-19 at home.