Beckett can’t lift Red Sox

“It was a 3-4 road trip,’’ said Jason Bay. “It’s not like it was an abomination of a road trip, as [Dustin] Pedroia would say. We go home and get a chance to add to the lead that we have in the wild-card chase. I don’t think anyone’s looking much farther ahead than that. Still a good position to be in.

“I think a lot of people, just because of the way [the White Sox] played on that last road trip, kind of wrote them off as a terrible team. They’re not, by any means. They’re a very good team. Now they’re getting the pitching that they needed, and that made them tough.’’

After facing a dominant Gavin Floyd Saturday, the Sox faced Mark Buehrle, looking for his first win since his perfect game July 23. Buehrle bedeviled the Sox into swings and misses, scattering eight hits over seven-plus innings to earn his 12th win of the season.

Despite falling to 14-6, Beckett looked far better than he had over his last four starts, allowing three runs and six hits and striking out four in seven innings, continuing a revival that began during the final four innings of his outing against Tampa Bay.

“I think a lot of it has to do, he was fighting being sick, and I just don’t think he feels real strong either,’’ manager Terry Francona said of the flu-like symptoms that have been going around the club. “I think that has something to do with it. He’s trying to reach back for more. But I thought today he stayed within himself better . . . I actually thought he was pretty good.’’

It was the third inning that sealed Beckett’s fate, as he started off by hitting Jayson Nix. Scott Podsednik then lined a single up the middle, followed by a sacrifice bunt by Alexei Ramirez sending runners to second and third. Beckett got A.J. Pierzynski to ground to short, but Nix scored to tie the game at 1.

Jermaine Dye drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch to Mark Kotsay. Kotsay then singled on a hanging breaking ball, scoring Podsednik and Dye. Carlos Quentin followed with a double, but Beckett caught a break when the relay from Bay to Alex Gonzalez to Jason Varitek caught Kotsay at home.