Josh Beckett became the first Boston Red Sox pitcher to win his first six starts since Roger Clemens in 1991, and is just two behind the team record shared by Babe Ruth and two others.

"I know he was a great hitter," Beckett said. "Any time you're mentioned in the same point as Babe Ruth, when you didn't give up one of his milestone home runs, is obviously a tremendous feat."

Beckett (6-0) allowed three runs and six hits with seven strikeouts and two walks to help the Red Sox beat Oakland 6-4 on Wednesday night.

He became the eighth Red Sox pitcher to win at least his first six starts. The team record of eight is shared by Ruth in 1917, Dave Ferriss in 1945 and Roger Moret in 1973.

In other AL games, it was: Tampa Bay 4, Minnesota 3, 10 innings; Cleveland 7, Toronto 6, 11 innings; Detroit 3, Baltimore 2; Seattle 3, Chicago 2; Kansas City 3, Los Angeles 1; and the New York Yankees game at Texas was postponed by rain.

The win gave Boston a split of the two-game series after a 5-4 loss in 10 innings in a game in which Curt Schilling pitched well but Jonathan Papelbon blew his first save.

"I liked the fact that we saw Schilling and Beckett and Papelbon and they are some of the better pitchers in the game," Oakland manager Bob Geren said, "and we had a chance to win both games."

Beckett is the only pitcher with six wins this season, his second since Boston obtained him in a trade that sent Hanley Ramirez to Florida. The shortstop became the NL Rookie of the Year, while Beckett finished with a 5.01 ERA and allowed 36 homers, tied for second most in the majors, and was 16-13.

But this season, Beckett moved from the third-base side of the rubber to the middle and has relied more on an improved curveball and changeup after concentrating on his fastball in key situations last year.