BOSTON (AP) ― Embattled starter Josh Beckett did nothing to help restore his reputation Thursday night, getting booed off the field at Fenway Park in the third inning of Boston’s 8-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians.

Jack Hannahan hit a two-run homer and Jason Kipnis had a solo shot off Beckett, who was already in hot water with Red Sox fans for playing golf last week a day after he was scratched from his scheduled start with a sore lat muscle in his back.

His return to the rotation couldn’t have gone much worse. Beckett (2-4) gave up seven runs on seven hits and walked two in 2 1-3 innings as Cleveland built a 7-1 lead.

Michael Brantley went 4 for 5 with two RBIs for the Indians.

Derek Lowe (5-1) pitched six effective innings against his former team, allowing two runs and nine hits with one walk and three strikeouts. He was as solid as he needed to be with the Indians’ offense taking full advantage of Beckett’s struggles.

Dustin Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 11 with a leadoff homer in the seventh, cutting Cleveland’s lead to 7-3. But that did little to lift the somber mood at Fenway Park as Red Sox fans watched their team lose for the 11th time in its last 12 home games. Boston, last in the AL East at 12-19, has dropped eight of nine overall.

Beckett, who has a 5.97 ERA, was booed just a few hours after manager Bobby Valentine downplayed the uproar over the pitcher’s golf outing.

Word surfaced Wednesday that Beckett had hit the links with his sore lat and fans jeered him early and often as the Indians teed off for seven runs before the third inning was over.

It’s not the first time Beckett’s off-the-field decisions and commitment to the team have come into question.

After last season, it was revealed that he was among a group of pitchers who ate fried chicken and drank beer in the clubhouse during games on days they didn’t pitch.

The first homer was Hannahan’s two-run shot into the Boston bullpen, where a few relievers got up and started stretching their arms as it became apparent Beckett would not be out there for long.

It got worse in the fourth when Kipnis led off with a homer, Asdrubal Cabrera singled and Travis Hafner walked. Beckett got a mock cheer when Carlos Santana flied out for the first out of the inning, but the boos came right back when Choo Shin-soo followed with a double.



Tigers 10, Athletics 6

Blue Jays 6, Twins 2

Nationals 4, Pirates 2

Orioles 6, Rangers 5 (Game 1)

Rangers 7, Orioles 3 (Game 2)

Yankees 5, Rays 3













Brantley was up next and one fan yelled “FORE!” when he lined a foul ball down the right-field line, but all the chuckles quickly subsided when Brantley doubled to left-center. It was the second straight double for the Indians, ending Beckett’s night.

Fans cheered when Valentine came out of the dugout and immediately signaled to the bullpen for lefty Andrew Miller.

There wasn’t much to cheer for again until Pedroia came up with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth, but he popped out to second on the 41st pitch of the inning by Vinny Pestano.