Red Sox stack the deck against the Tribe’s ace

Two players reached based all 10 times they were at bat.

BOSTON (AP) — Josh Beckett didn’t need another shutout to beat the Cleveland Indians. David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez took care of that.

Beckett pitched six innings of four-hit ball Friday night, and Ortiz and Ramirez reached base all 10 times they came to the plate to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Indians 10-3 in the AL championship series opener.

Ramirez went 2-for-2 with an RBI single and three walks — two of them with the bases loaded — and Ortiz went 2-for-2 with two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Ramirez also had two crowd-pleasing catches in left field: one going back, one coming in.

That was plenty for Beckett, who pitched shutouts in his two previous playoff starts.

The Red Sox ace gave up a first-inning homer to Travis Hafner before retiring 10 batters in a row. By the time the Indians got another run, Boston led 8-2, C.C. Sabathia was gone and the Red Sox were on their way to taking jumping ahead in the best-of-seven series.

The 2003 World Series MVP and the only 20-game winner in the majors in the past two seasons, Beckett struck out seven while giving up two runs, a hit batter and a wild pitch. He has a 4-2 career postseason record and 1.87 ERA, and the guy following him to the mound may be even better in October.

Curt Schilling, who also has a World Series MVP award on his résumé, faces Fausto Carmona in Game 2 tonight.

place. Mariano Rivera is first with 25. ... The attendance was 36,986. ... The eight runs allowed by Sabathia were his most since July 21, 2006. ... Everyone in the Red Sox starting lineup had at least one hit. ... In 15 playoff innings, Beckett has 15 strikeouts and no walks.