Josh Beckett pitches 3-hitter for 100th career victory as Red Sox blank Royals 6-0

BOSTON — Josh Beckett kept firing strikes. Kansas City hitters kept missing them.

“Not a lot we could do with him,” Royals manager Trey Hillman said.

Welcome to the club.

The Red Sox ace pitched his second shutout in five starts, picked up his 100th career victory and held Kansas City to three hits as Boston went into the All-Star break with a 6-0 win Sunday. Beckett needed just 94 pitches to do it.

“It’s pretty memorable” Beckett said of his 100th win, “and the way I did it is cool.”

Beckett (11-3) retired the first nine batters, five on strikeouts. It was his second shutout and complete game of the season following his 3-0 win over Atlanta on June 20. He finished with seven strikeouts and no walks.

At the end of April, Beckett was 2-2 with a 7.22 ERA. Since then he is 9-1 with a 2.14 ERA, lowering his ERA for the season to 3.35.

“He has been the Beckett we’ve come to appreciate,” Boston manager Terry Francona said.

Now he and teammate Tim Wakefield are headed for Tuesday’s All-Star game in St. Louis. They have the same record and lead the AL in wins.

Beckett allowed just a ground-ball double down the right-field line to David DeJesus leading off the fourth and singles by Mitch Maier and Mark Teahen in the seventh.

Rookie Aaron Bates, called up last Monday, was 3 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI.

Bruce Chen (0-4) and four Royals relievers walked nine batters. Chen came out after allowing the first two batters in the fourth to reach base.

Boston scored a run in the first on Kevin Youkilis’ RBI single and three in the fourth when Bates bashed a run-scoring double, David Ortiz grounded out for another RBI and Jason Varitek walked with the bases loaded.

The fifth run came across in the fifth when Nick Green, who had walked and taken third on a single by Bates, scored on Jacoby Ellsbury’s double-play grounder. Rocco Baldelli doubled in the final run in the eighth.

Beckett did the rest, allowing two runs or less for the ninth time in 11 starts.

“Oh,” Francona said, “he was good.”

At Anaheim, Calif., John Lackey pitched seven solid innings and the Angels knocked around CC Sabathia to complete the three-game sweep.

Lackey (4-4) allowed two runs and six hits while Sabathia (8-6) gave up five runs and struck out six in 6 2-3 innings.

Brian Fuentes earned his 26th save in 29 chances for the Angles, who have won eight of their last nine meetings against the Yankees in Anaheim.

At Seattle, pinch-hitter Chris Shelton and Rob Johnson hit consecutive RBI singles with two out in the seventh inning to lead the Mariners.

All-Star Ichiro Suzuki had two hits and drove in a run for Seattle to raise his batting average to .362 and extend his hitting streak to 11 games.

Hank Blalock and Nelson Cruz homered for the Rangers. Darren O’Day (2-1) got the loss.

Miguel Batista (6-3) pitched 1 1-3 innings to get the win and David Aardsma got three outs for his 20th save in 22 chances.

At Baltimore, Brad Bergesen took a shutout into the seventh inning and Brian Roberts had two RBIs.

Oscar Salazar homered and Roberts also scored a run for the Orioles, who have won six of their last nine series.

Bergesen (6-3) gave up two runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings. He outpitched fellow rookie Marc Rzepczynski (0-1), who allowed three runs and five hits over six innings in his second major league start.

At Minneapolis, Carlos Gomez drove in a career-high five runs and Minnesota had an unusually productive game against White Sox ace Mark Buehrle.

Buehrle (9-3) gave up eight runs and 10 hits in 3 1-3 innings, his shortest outing of the season.

Gomez, Brendan Harris and Denard Span homered against Buehrle, who has beaten Minnesota more times than any other opponent. Coming into the game, Buehrle was 23-13 with a 3.72 ERA lifetime against the Twins and had been 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA this season.

Scott Baker (7-7) gave up five runs and six hits in 6 1-3 innings for the Twins.

At St. Petersburg, Fla., Orlando Cabrera hit a tiebreaking RBI single in Oakland’s four-run seventh and Kurt Suzuki and Mark Ellis each drove in two runs for the A’s.

Oakland starter Brett Anderson left after four scoreless innings due to lower back stiffness.

Michael Wuertz (5-1) got the win, allowing a run and three hits in 1 1-3 innings, and Andrew Bailey got six outs for his 10th save.

Dan Wheeler (3-2) was charged with one run while recording one out, picking up the loss.

At Detroit, Clete Thomas drove in five runs and Brandon Inge homered twice for the Tigers.

All-Star Justin Verlander (10-4) pitched seven shutout innings, allowing five hits and three walks. He struck out eight, giving him 149 for the season — the most by a Tigers pitcher at the All-Star break since Mickey Lolich had 156 in 1972.

Inge, also headed to Tuesday’s All-Star game, homered in the fourth and fifth.

Tomo Ohka (0-3) gave up five runs and five hits in 3 2-3 innings for Cleveland, which has lost 11 of its last 16 games and 19 of 26.