The Red Sox’ Curt Schilling, right, walks off the field with pitching coach John Farrell after throwing in the outfield at Comerica Park in Detroit yesterday.

AP / Duane Burleson

DETROIT — Josh Beckett didn’t seem overly impressed with himself after last night’s solid seven-inning stint in Boston’s 5-1 victory over the Tigers.

But he did take some satisfaction in a strikeout of Detroit’s Brandon Inge leading off the seventh inning. That whiff, accomplished when Inge swung and missed a 93-mph heater, accounted for the 1,000th strikeout of Beckett’s seven-year career. Beckett is the 422nd pitcher to join the 1,000-K club.

“It’s a cool milestone,” said Beckett, who improved to 4-2. “It means you’ve been around for a while and gotten your share of strikeouts.”

As for the game, the right-hander had a little two-out trouble but managed to pitch around it for the most part.

Of the six hits he surrendered, all came after two were out, including three straight in the fourth, producing Detroit’s only run. Ramon Santiago chased home that run, delivering Marcus Thames from second base, cutting the Sox’ lead to 3-1.

“I think I made pitches when I had to,” said Beckett, who fanned eight and did not walk a batter. “That’s what it boils down to or I could very easily have given up more runs.”

Watch your step

Dustin Pedroia ran into Santiago, the Tigers’ shortstop, in the seventh. Literally.

Pedroia was at first when David Ortiz ripped a shot into the right-field corner. Pedroia tried to find third-base coach DeMarlo Hale as he looked up and Santiago got in his way, obstructing his path and inadvertently spiking the Boston second baseman.

Pedroia made it to third and Ortiz to second.

Boston manager Terry Francona argued that Pedroia should have been allowed home plate, but the umpires told him, as he expected they would, that Pedroia was not allowed home. Had he continued, and been thrown out, the umpires would have called him out because he already had gotten to third, the base he had been temporarily been obstructed from going to. Further advance is at the runner’s own peril.

The same thing happened to Oakland’s Miguel Tejada the 2003 playoffs when he got tangled up with Bill Mueller. Tejada thought he was allowed the plate and was tagged out, a mistake that helped coast the A’s the series.

Rest for Manny

Ramirez was out of the starting lineup last night.

There was nothing wrong with him physically, said Francona. It was just a rest.

Ellsbury shifted over to left field from center and Coco Crisp started in center.

Ramirez had started 35 of the Sox’ first 36 games. He had been in a bit of a slump lately. Ramirez, who got off to a torrid start that had him leading the American League in batting average at .370 on April 25, had batted a mere .195 (8-for-41) since, dropping his average down to a still very respectable .316.

Schilling plays catch

Curt Schilling (right shoulder) played catch from 60 feet yesterday afternoon, again making 25 tosses as he did on Tuesday, the first time he was cleared to throw a baseball this spring.

Schilling will perform various strengthening drills today and will play catch from 60 feet yet another time tomorrow in Minnesota before he is evaluated to see if he can progress to a more intense throwing workload.

His return to the mound, though, still is a long way off.

Around the bases

Craig Hansen pitched a dominant spotless inning, the eighth . . . Manny Delcarmen allowed a two-out hit but blanked the Tigers in the ninth . . . Crisp went 3 for 4 — and saw only six pitches in those four at-bats . . . Ortiz extended his hitting streak to eight games. He is batting .416 (15 for 36) over that stretch as his average continues to climb, now resting at a season-high .239 . . . Entering last night, Julio Lugo had been charged with 10 errors, which was half of the team’s total of 20. He had more errors than anyone in the majors. The closest error-maker was Cincinnati third baseman Edwin Encarnacion, who had eight . . . Make of this what you will.

Placido Polanco had five hits Wednesday night, including a walk-off broken-bat single. Last night, Beckett came up and in on him in the first inning and scaled a 94 mph fastball off his knuckles.

It was the first hit-batsman of the year for Beckett, who had walked 8 and fanned 34 in 34 1/3 innings prior to the start against the Tigers . . . Crisp racked up his fifth bunt single of the year, in the second inning.

skrasner@projo.com