Cleveland rocks Boston starter Josh Beckett for nine runs, including three homers, en route to a lopsided victory.

01:00 AM EDT on Friday, April 28, 2006

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

CLEVELAND -- Prior to last night's game, Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett was loose and jovial in the clubhouse, as though he wasn't about to make his fifth start of the season.

At first glance, it seemed the right-hander (3-1) would have no trouble against the Cleveland Indians, given the mood he was in. Sometimes that's a good sign.

However, that wasn't the case last night.

The Indians rocked Beckett for a career-high nine runs (eight earned), including a grand slam and two other home runs, en route to a 15-3 thrashing of Boston at Jacobs Field.

Cleveland's Ben Broussard (eight RBI) hit the grand slam in the first inning, added a solo shot in the third, contributed a two-run single in the sixth and tacked on an RBI single in the seventh. Teammate Victor Martinez added a three-run blast in the fourth inning.

"I thought he was raring to go," said Boston manager Terry Francona. "I just don't think he was successful executing his pitches tonight."

He was lifted after just 3 2/3 innings, after throwing 100 pitches (57 for strikes) in his first appearance against the Tribe. The nine runs were the most given up by a Red Sox pitcher since Derek Lowe surrendered the same amount on June 29, 2004, at New York.

"It was location," he said. "You have to execute pitches, and location is part of it. It just wasn't working for me. I had too many walks. It was just one of those nights. I was brutal, brutal, brutal."

Broussard certainly was in a good spirits after his performance at the plate. In fact, he became the first Indians player since Manny Ramirez (Sept. 24, 1999, at Toronto) to post an eight-RBI game.

Beckett will try to forget this one as soon as possible.

"If you fall off a horse, you have to get right back on," he said. "In five days, I have another tough task. You have to forget about it."

Last night, however, Beckett only had a good idea of what was going out of the park.

That seems to be the theme in his last 11-plus innings, including the eighth inning of his last start, in Toronto. He had a 6-2 lead heading into that inning before the Blue Jays scored four runs, including three off Beckett, to tie the game at 6-6. Toronto won it in the 12th, 7-6.

Beckett struggled from the get-go on this night.

He allowed a leadoff single to the Indians' Grady Sizemore but retired the next two batters. The Red Sox starter then issued back-to-back walks before Broussard deposited the first offering to him 374 feet into the right-field seats. The first grand slam Beckett had allowed in his career quickly made it 4-0.

Sizemore doubled with one out in the second and accounted for Cleveland's fifth run when he scored on shortstop Alex Cora's throwing error for a 5-0 advantage.

Broussard led off the third with his second round-tripper of the game, crushing a 1-0 pitch over the visitors' bullpen and into the second tier of seats in right for a 6-0 advantage.

Beckett retired the next five batters, including two strikeouts to start the fourth inning, before issuing a pair of walks. With two on, Martinez delivered his three-run homer.

The Red Sox are 2-4 on this nine-game road trip, and will begin a three-game series at Tampa Bay tonight.

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