Boston and Colorado Opens With Wins

Josh Beckett waited four years between postseason starts. When he got back on the mound, nothing much changed. He's still Mr. Zero when October rolls around. The 2003 World Series MVP pitched his second consecutive post-season shutout Wednesday night, backed by a two-run homer from David Ortiz that helped the Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-0 in their AL playoff opener. Beckett retired 19 consecutive batters after a leadoff single, allowing just four hits to run his postseason scoreless streak to 18 innings. His three postseason shutouts tie Whitey Ford and Mordecai Brown for second on the career list, one behind Christy Mathewson.