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          Tempers flare between Beckett, Howard as Red Sox top Phillies

          Mar 26, 2006

            CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) -- Josh Beckett's pitches were as nasty as
            his demeanor. With one start left before Opening Day, he already
            appears in midseason form.

            Beckett allowed two runs and struck out six in six innings and
            Tony Graffanino homered, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 3-2
            victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.

            Benches and bullpens emptied before the seventh inning, minutes
            after Beckett had words with slugger Ryan Howard. Beckett thought
            Howard took too long to admire his long fly ball to center that was
            knocked down by the wind and caught in front of the warning track.
            Beckett yelled at Howard, but nothing happened during the inning.

            Beckett looked back into the Phillies' dugout as he walked off
            the field following the sixth. After Howard ran out to his spot at
            first base, he threw his glove down, looked into Boston's dugout,
            talked back to Beckett and walked toward him. Beckett was
            restrained before he stepped back onto the field and no one threw
            any punches or shoves.

            "I'm about respecting the game. Even if it is a home run, I
            don't think it's the right thing to do," Beckett said. "It's not
            like I wanted to fight the guy, but I wanted to make the point that
            you look like an idiot when you do that and it's an out. It was my
            fault. I should've let it go. He didn't do that last year when he
            was hitting a bunch of homers. I guess one season changes you."

            Howard, the NL Rookie of the Year last season, struck out his
            first two at-bats against Beckett. He has a team-record 10 homers
            this spring.

            "I just hit the ball and didn't see where it went, so I kind of
            hesitated and looked up to try to find the ball," said Howard, who
            isn't known for showboating. "For me, it was over. I really wasn't
            thinking about it anymore. But I go over there and he's like, 'Fly
            ball.' He threw in some curse words and called me a couple names. I
            was like, 'It's over,' but he started popping back off."

            Phillies starter Cory Lidle pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing
            three runs and seven hits.

            Dustan Mohr put Boston ahead 2-1 with an RBI double inside the
            first-base line in the fourth. Alex Cora made it 3-1 with a
            run-scoring groundout.

            Pat Burrell's RBI single in the sixth cut it to 3-2. Chase Utley
            doubled, went to third on Howard's long fly and scored on Burrell's
            liner to left.

            Graffanino hit a solo homer in the first.