Sports Redux: Beckett, Ortiz Power Sox by Braves

When Josh Beckett stomped off the mound after the fourth inning, he sure looked mad about something. Perhaps Beckett was realizing that he is done pitching against Atlanta for the balance of the 2009 season. Beckett (9-3) stopped the Braves cold, again, this time with seven shutout innings, six hits and six strikeouts as the Red Sox beat the Braves, 8-2. Beckett pitched 16 scoreless innings against Atlanta this year. Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Paplebon closed the game out. Both were adequate, at best, as Paplebon served up a home run to someone named David Ross, who exists and played eight games for Boston in 2008.

David Ortiz led off the fifth with another home run, number eight in 2009. Ortiz appears back with the bat for real now and his production this month translates to about 45/120 for an entire season. The rest of the Sox offense got a boost from Atlanta's pitcher Jair Jurrjens and his two balks, a passed ball and some small ball sacrificing. Dustin Pedroia and J.D. Drew each had two hits and an RBI.

In other Sox news, Mike Lowell is expected to miss the three-game series in Atlanta due to soreness in his hip. He may get a shot to ease his discomfort. On NESN, Dave Roberts suggested Ortiz's slump forced the Sox to push Lowell harder than expected after surgery, which may explain his soreness.

The rumors didn't come to pass and Phil Kessel is still - for now - a member of the Boston Bruins. Instead, the Bruins selected Jordan Caron in the first round of the NHL Draft. He is about as tall as Cam Neely and other than being Canadian, he has nothing in common with #8. Peter Chiarelli seemed to appreciate the idea that the Bruins were drafting a kid from Quebec while standing in the rink used by Les Canadiens. He had a slight grin as he announced the pick.

The New England Patriots, coach Bill Belichick and Tom Brady swept the ESPN.com All-Decade categories. Bostonist is wondering how much credit Michael Jackson deserves for his role in ushering in the Robert Kraft era.