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Josh Beckett cites illness after deliberate day

Josh Beckett

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Josh Beckett takes a moment on the mound before pitching to a Tampa Bay Rays batter during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 15, 2012, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

AP

The talk of the Rays broadcast this afternoon was just how much time Josh Beckett took in between pitches, particularly during Tampa Bay’s three-run first. As it turned out, he was going as fast as he could.

Beckett said afterwards that a combination of battling the flu, being on flu medication and dealing with waves of dizziness contributed to his deliberate work.

The first three batters reached and came around to score off Beckett today. The first run came because he was a little slow to react to a liner that bounced off his glove. Beckett, though, was able to shut the Rays down after the early outburst. He ended up striking out seven over six innings in Boston’s 7-3 victory.

The win was his first since May 20. The Red Sox lost each of his five previous starts.