BOSTON — It was complete domination.

Boston made Cleveland look like a college team during spring training as the Red Sox defeated the Indians, 10-3, in Game One of the American League Championship Series last night at Fenway Park. The Red Sox received solid starting pitching, an explosive offense and sound defense to take a 1-0 lead in this best-of-seven series.

Boston starter Josh Beckett dominated the Cleveland lineup, working six innings and allowing only two runs on four hits. He also struck out seven and walked no one as the Sox took a 1-0 series lead.

The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach

It wasn’t the pitchers’ duel most thought they would witness between the pair of Cy Young Award candidates.

As far as October artistry is concerned, Red Sox starter Josh Beckett continues to be poetic. Cleveland Indians ace C.C. Sabathia couldn’t maintain his postseason prose.

“He gave us just what we needed,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “I don’t think ‘struggle’ is the right word, but that first hitter of each inning he had to kind of refine himself every inning, and once he did he got in the flow of every inning. He was very good.”

As good as Beckett has been in his two postseason outings, Sabathia struggled at the worst possible time.

“He didn’t have it tonight,” said Cleveland manager Eric Wedge. “He never got in sync. It was just one of those nights for C.C.”

While Wedge tried to defend his starter, he was quite impressed with Beckett’s performance.

“Real good,” he said. “He was on. I thought he threw the ball well.”

The right-handed Beckett, who pitched a complete-game four-hitter against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in Game One of the ALDS a week ago, was solid once again. He needed to work only six innings and allowed just two runs on four hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. Sabathia, the left-hander, never found his groove as Boston pounded him for eight runs on seven hits.

It was clear from the get-go that Beckett had his October stuff. He struck out the first two batters he faced in the brisk 54-degree game-time temperature before the Indians’ Travis Hafner unloaded with a solo home run that landed in the first row behind the visitors’ bullpen for a 1-0 Cleveland lead.

It was a mistake pitch by Beckett, a fastball that did not move inside enough, and Hafner turned on it. Other than that, Beckett was in control. The right-hander responded by retiring the next 10 batters he faced before hitting the Indians’ Ryan Garko with a pitch in the fifth.

Putting the runner on meant nothing, because Beckett was able to get Jhonny Peralta to ground into a 6-4-3 double play and, after Kenny Lofton doubled, Beckett got out of the jam by striking out Franklin Gutierrez to end the inning.

Prior to the game, when Sabathia was warming up in the bullpen, the left-hander seemed out of sorts a bit and that proved to be true early last night. The key for the Red Sox was to get to him early, and they did. In the process, Boston gave its ace a solid offensive cushion.

Ramirez provided an RBI-single in the bottom of the first inning before the Red Sox pushed across a four-spot in the third to jump out to a 5-1 lead as Sabathia couldn’t quite get into a groove. The big hit in the inning was a two-run ground-rule double for Lowell.

Sabathia retired the side in order in the fourth, but he imploded big time in the fifth. He loaded the bases before Bobby Kielty — starting in place of J.D. Drew due to his career success against the Cleveland starter — provided a two-run single to break the game wide open. That would end Sabathia’s night.

Right-handed reliever Jensen Lewis replaced the starter and surrendered an RBI-double to Jason Varitek to give Boston an 8-1 lead.

The Indians pushed across a run in the sixth off Beckett, a RBI-single by Asdrubal Cabrera, but that would all Cleveland could muster.

The Red Sox, however, weren’t done.

Boston scored two more times in the sixth inning with Ramirez drawing his second bases-loaded walk of the game and Lowell providing a sacrifice fly for a 10-2 lead. With the Sox holding an eight-run lead, Francona decided to pull Beckett after six innings and only 80 pitches (53 strikes).

Because of the short night, it’s possible he could come back and work Game Four — if absolutely needed — instead of Tim Wakefield, who is scheduled to start that game Tuesday in Cleveland.

If Cleveland thought last night was bad, it won’t get any easier for the Indians tonight as they try to even the series when they face another October master pitcher in Curt Schilling.

jmcdonal@projo.com