It took six starts, but Jake Peavy pitched Monday night like “one of the best pitchers in baseball,” as general manager Ken Williams described him before Peavy hurled seven-plus innings of four-hit ball.
This looked like the old Peavy — relying on a 94 mph fastball with plenty of movement while yelling at himself on the mound.
And at the plate, the Sox showed glimpses of their preseason hopes with some long-awaited timely hitting that secured a cozy 5-1 victory over the Royals and manager Ozzie Guillen’s 523rd win, vaulting him ahead of Tony La Russa for third place on the Sox’s all-time win list.
While pop sensation Justin Bieber threw the ceremonial first pitch and signed autographs for some of the Sox players, it was Peavy who seized the stage.
And it was about time, as Peavy entered with an 0-2 record, a 7.85 ERA and plenty of questions.
“It’s going to get better, but everything was better — arm strength, location — it all came together and we dictated the game,” Peavy said.
“That’s what you’re looking for. That’s what I came here to do. And it’s nice to go out there and do what I’m capable of. Now I just have to maintain this.”
Peavy pitched as if he were on a mission, especially after pitching coach Don Cooper suggested Sunday that it was time for him to get results and not worry about his mechanics or a high pitch count.
Peavy retired the first eight batters and didn’t allow a hit until Mitch Maier delivered a clean single with two outs in the fifth. Peavy finished with nine strikeouts. He struck out David DeJesus on a called third strike to start the game and snapped off a breaking pitch to whiff Billy Butler to end the first inning.
He struck out Maier in the third and Butler in the fourth. His 93 mph fastball tailed back toward the inside corner to fool Scott Podsednik to end the sixth.
Peavy didn’t rely on much defensive help, aside from Gordon Beckham’s leaping throw behind second base to retire Butler to start the seventh.
That play became instrumental because Alberto Callaspo singled and advanced to third on Jason Kendall’s double. But Peavy induced Maier to pop to short to end the rally and received an ovation.
The shutout was ruined when Podsednik led off the ninth with a home run off Scott Linebrink that landed one row behind the blue seat where he hit the game-winning home run in Game 2 of the 2005 World Series for the Sox.
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