Josh Beckett seems to be picking up where he left off last season. The big right-hander lost his last two starts and allowed 12 earned runs in 13 1/3 innings (8.10 ERA) to close the 2011 season. Saturday he opened the 2012 season with one of the roughest outings of his career. Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine relieved Beckett during the fifth inning in a bit of a mercy killing. Beckett allowed seven runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings to the Tigers. The big number here, though, is the five home runs Beckett allowed -- two to Miguel Cabrera, two to Prince Fielder and one to Alex Avila.
The five home runs Beckett coughed up matches a career-worst outing. He also gave up five homers to the Yankees on August 23, 2009.
This marks the sixth time in Red Sox history a pitcher allowed at least five homers in a game. The club record for homers allowed in a game is six, which happened to Tim Wakefield. Beckett's done it twice, as has Wakefield. Clay Buchholz and Dennis Eckersley were the other two.
This is also only the second time a pitcher has ever allowed at least five homers in Comerica Park. The other was Wakefield, when he gave up the aforementioned six.
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