Beckett inspires Red Sox

Beckett gave up six hits and three runs over seven innings to become the first Boston pitcher to win his first six starts since Roger Clemens in 1991. He struck out seven and walked two.

"Any time you're mentioned in the same sentence as very likely the greatest pitcher to ever live, it's nice," Beckett said.

He worked his way out of a seventh-inning jam by throw a 97 miles per hour fastball to strike out Mark Ellis with two runners on base.

"I think in those situations it's something that, knock on wood, I've always kind of had that little extra in reserve," Beckett added.

After Julio Lugo's sacrifice fly scored Coco Crisp to break open a 3-3 tie in the sixth, Boston went up 5-3 on Alex Cora's run-scoring single in the seventh and made it 6-3 when J.D. Drew singled to right in the eighth.

Oakland cleanup hitter Mike Piazza sprained his right shoulder during a sixth-inning collision at third base and told reporters he expected to be out four to six weeks.

Travis Hafner's run-scoring double in the 11th inning gave the Cleveland Indians a 7-6 home win over the Toronto Blue Jays . The victory was the ninth in 10 games for Cleveland.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays scored two runs in the ninth and the game-winner in the 10th for a 4-3 home decision over the Minnesota Twins. Pinch-hitter Dioner Navarro's grounder drove in the winning run.

Gary Sheffield went 4-for-4 with a home run and a run-scoring single as the Detroit Tigers swept the Baltimore Orioles with a 3-2 home win.