Beckett is first in the AL to 12 wins

Josh Beckett became the AL’s first 12-game winner, and the Boston Red Sox broke out of a slump with 14 hits in an 8-3 win over the Oakland Athletics.

Beckett (12-4) struck out 10 before leaving after Scott Hairston’s leadoff triple in the eighth, and the bullpen extended its streak to 24 scoreless innings since the All-Star game.

Dustin Pedroia homered and drove in two runs, and Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits for the Red Sox, who entered with only 25 runs and a .215 batting average in their nine games since the break.

In his last five starts at Fenway Park, Beckett is 5-0 with an 0.98 earned-run average and 36 strikeouts while giving up 23 hits and four walks.