Beckett at his best shows that he's the best

Josh Beckett was nearly flawless for eight innings. (Mike Carlson/Associated Press)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Rays celebrated their 2-1 walkoff victory last night as if they had just won the World Series, but on the more subdued side of the diamond, even in heart-wrenching defeat, the Red Sox might have scored the biggest victory of all: the return of a dominant Josh Beckett.

Whether it was blowing fastballs by hitters or bending ungodly breaking balls over nether regions of home plate, Beckett looked like the old Beckett. The Sox offense was unable to support Beckett, who engaged in a tremendous pitchers' duel with underrated Rays righthander Andy Sonnanstine.

But while Beckett was kicking himself over the first-pitch breaking ball that Carlos Pena hit out for a homer in the seventh, the sentiment of his teammates was expressed precisely by Mike Lowell, who said, "Josh deserved to win the game."

Win, lose, or draw, what the Sox have in Beckett is what every team searches for - the one guy you'd want pitching in the biggest moment you could imagine, knowing that (with reasonable run support) he'll win.

Perhaps Beckett's elbow problems got him dethroned as this year's staff ace, that designation likely belonging to Jon Lester. But in the final weeks of the season, Beckett appears to be shaping up into the tough-as-nails, gritty pitcher that he is.

If that's the case, then the Red Sox are in prime position to not only repeat as American League champs, but to possibly win back-to-back World Series.

"Yeah, I'm getting there," said Beckett. "My arm strength is getting there."

Yet Beckett would not engage in any October talk. He even mocked NESN's "Soxtober" promotion.

"We're not worried about October," Beckett said. "We're worried about the rest of the season and winning the division."

Coincidentally present at Tropicana Field was former Sox adviser Bill Lajoie, now special adviser to Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti. Lajoie was part of the group of Sox officials - along with Jeremy Kapstein, Ben Cherington, Jed Hoyer, and Craig Shipley - that pulled off the Beckett/Mike Lowell deal with the Marlins in 2005, when Theo Epstein had briefly left the organization.

"We all knew at the time that Beckett was a No. 1 starter," said Lajoie. "That's what we needed at the time. That's what we got, and he did the rest. He had a great year last year, and if he gets that back, he'll be awfully tough again."

The Beckett/Lowell deal is what separated the Sox from everyone else last season; they had the very best pitcher at the top of the rotation and the very best at the end of games in Jonathan Papelbon. If Papelbon works out his recent maladies - and there's no reason to believe he won't - then the combo will be above and beyond what the other contenders can throw out there, though the Angels come close with John Lackey and Frankie Rodriguez.

That's why last night's start by Beckett, win or lose, was so important.

After his three weeks on the disabled list, the Sox were quite careful with him, setting up a slow-moving throwing program in which he was able to build up his strength and allow the inflammation in his elbow to subside. He made two starts in which he didn't throw more than 84 pitches, and last night, in throwing 95 over eight innings, he showed he was ready for the unveiling, so to speak.

"The physical concerns of three weeks ago are nonexistent," said pitching coach John Farrell. "His pitch efficiency was outstanding. He pitched out of a couple of jams with one out and runners in scoring position. He threw his changeup in key spots. He had his cutter at his disposal. A tremendous breaking pitch."

Farrell went as far as to say Beckett compares to the postseason Beckett of last year.

Last night, Beckett no-hit the Rays through 4 1/3 innings before Cliff Floyd hit a solid single to right.

A National League scout employed by a playoff-bound team who was at the game to watch Beckett offered the following assessment: "Not sure he's throwing as hard as I've seen him throw, but the movement on his pitches and his ability to pitch inside and effectively is off the charts. He's a horse and a horse's [expletive], but that's what makes him so good."

Beckett's toughness showed in the fifth when, after the Floyd single, he momentarily lost his rhythm. He walked Dioner Navarro, and with runners at first and second and one out, Beckett went to work. He struck out Eric Hinske and Gabe Gross to wiggle out of the inning.

The Sox finally got him a run in the sixth, only to see Pena tie it in the seventh. After Beckett allowed the solo shot, he again swiftly retired the side in the seventh.

"One pitch changed the complexion of the game," lamented Beckett. "It was a poorly executed pitch."

Not really. Jason Varitek acknowledged that the pitch to Pena might have been a "touch in," but the power-hitting first baseman reached out and put a great swing on it. Even Beckett conceded that there aren't many hitters in baseball strong enough to loft that curveball over the fence.

Beckett came out for the eighth and hit Justin Ruggiano with a pitch - though Beckett claimed it hit the bat knob. Again, he toughened. After Ruggiano advanced to second on a ground out, Beckett struck out Fernando Perez and got the pesky Akinori Iwamura to fly out to center, sending the game into the ninth tied.

While it's too close a race in the AL East to declare a winner, it's clear that last night's loss was a big-picture win for the Sox.

Beckett is back. And there isn't another team that has anyone as good.

Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com