Boston's Beckett leaves game with ankle problem
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TORONTO (Reuters) - The struggling Boston Red Sox's latest defeat was made all the more painful after ace pitcher Josh Beckett was forced to abandon the mound early in the game with a right ankle injury on Monday.
Beckett felt discomfort in the ankle during the fourth inning of a then scoreless contest against the Toronto Blue Jays and was promptly removed.
He will fly back to Boston on Tuesday to have his ankle reexamined by the team doctor.
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"I felt it on the second to last pitch and then it felt a little bit different on the last pitch," Beckett told reporters.
"It's always concerning. That's my power leg."
The Red Sox went on to lose to the Blue Jays 1-0 in 11 innings to slip 2 games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the American League East.
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Despite losing a fifth game in seven contests, Boston (84-56) remain commanding leaders of the AL Wild Card race, but their playoff prospects are reliant on a fit and healthy Beckett, who is 12-5 with a 2.49 ERA this season.
"Obviously he's been our best guy from day one," Boston reliever Daniel Bard said. "We need him down the stretch."
(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by John O'Brien)