Newcomer is sharp in his Boston debut

09:15 AM EDT on Thursday, April 6, 2006

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas -- For much of the game, the focus, predictably, was on Josh Beckett, making his first regular-season start in a Red Sox uniform in this, his home state.

But by the ninth inning last night, the spotlight shifted to who was --and more to the point, who wasn't -- pitching in relief.

After Beckett limited the Texas Rangers to a single run on seven hits and Trot Nixon (two-run homer) supplied the Red Sox with the only offense they would need, the Sox turned to Jonathan Papelbon, and not, as expected, Keith Foulke, to nail down the save in the ninth.

Papelbon turned back the Rangers on eight pitches and didn't allow a ball out of the infield, notching his first major-league save and preserving the Red Sox' 2-1 victory.

"I've been thinking about it," said manager Terry Francona of the switch, while insisting it wasn't permanent. "About the only way we were going to go to Pap was if the game unfolded exactly the way it did (with Mike Timlin pitching the eighth). What I didn't want was to get out of town and not use a guy (Papelbon) who is throwing as well as anybody.

"This is by no means an indictment of Foulke. But it's so hard in April to get wins,I don't think Foulke is ready to be the guy we need. I think he'll get there."

Foulke shrugged off being passed over for the save opportunity.

"As long as we win, that's all that matters," he said. "You guys talk about (who's the) closer, and I tell you all the time, I'm a bullpen guy."

Foulke revealed that Francona, in speaking to him before the game, told him "that I could be throwing the ball better and that Pap is throwing the ball great. I'm still fine-tuning, and the team comes first. We're working on stuff. The other day (Monday in the season opener) I was lacking a little control."

If Papelbon continues to throw like he did last night, commanding his fastball in the mid-90s, Foulke may have a diffucult time getting his job back.

"I thought he was tremendous," said Francona.

"You just go out there and try to get that first hitter," Papelbon said, "and stay in attack mode and not let them get any momentum. I'm not thinking about what I'm doing -- I'm just trying to go out and have fun and enjoy the ride."

Beckett, who nearly was traded to the Rangers last offseason before the Red Sox stepped in and bettered the Texas offer to the Florida Marlins, was nicked for a run in the first when leadoff hitter Brad Wilkerson doubled to right, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single to the shortstop hole by Michael Young.

The Rangers had at least one baserunner in every inning from the first through the fourth -- when Beckett had to deal with a leadoff double by D'Angelo Jiminez -- but in the fifth, he worked an six-pitch inning that helped him retire nine of the last 10 hitters he faced.

His outing was punctuated by a strikeout of Young on his 109th and final pitch of the night to close out the seventh. The Sox appealed Young's check swing to first base umpire Ed Hickox, who rang Young up for Beckett's fifth strikeout of the night.

An enthusiastic Beckett pumped his fist wildly in celebration.

"That last pitch," recalled Beckett, "was about all I had left. I wanted them to call that a strike so bad. I was physically fatigued."

A half-inning earlier, Beckett finally got some offensive backing from his new teammates.

Through the first five innings, the Sox could manage just two hits off Texas starter Kameron Loe -- both of them singles by Mark Loretta. A one-out triple by Coco Crisp in the sixth was squandered when Loretta and David Ortiz offered only routine groundouts to second.

Finally, after Manny Ramirez worked a leadoff walk in the seventh, Nixon hammered a pitch to right that landed in the first row of the right field seats and the Sox had their first lead since Opening Day.

"I was kind if upset about the second at-bat," said Nixon, who had grounded to first to open the fifth. "I didn't make him work. That's what I went up there thinking -- make him work. I just got fortunate on a mistake pitch."

The Sox had to survive a scare in the eighth. The Rangers had Mark Teixeira (single) on second and Hank Blalock (walk) on first when Kevin Mench lined a sharp single to left.

Ramirez charged quickly, but the Rangers sent Teixeira home, anyway. Third baseman Mike Lowell cut off Ramirez's throw, then turned and fired to Jason Varitek, who blocked the plate and applied the tag to his fellow Georgia Tech alum.

smcadam@projo.com / (401) 277-7340