Beckett is the boss of the postseason

BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox, as well as sportswriters and commentators across the country, are running out of adjectives to describe pitcher Josh Beckett and the month he is having. Dominant doesn’t seem to cut it anymore. Off-the-charts barely scratches the surface.

After his fourth consecutive gem of the postseason, a seven-inning, one-run, six-hit effort in a 13-1 victory over Colorado in Game 1 of the World Series at Fenway Park on Wednesday night, perhaps only one word captures Beckett’s October: sublime.

The right-hander, who struck out nine and walked one while shutting down a team that won 21 of its last 22 games, is 4-0 with a 1.20 earned-run average in four playoff starts. In 30 playoff innings, Beckett has struck out 35 and walked two.

“He’s set the bar at a level where if he gives up, like, three earned runs in a game, everyone’s going to think what a letdown he’s had,” Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell said. “That’s a good lineup Colorado has, and he did a good job bearing down and executing his pitches.”

It was apparent from the get-go Wednesday that Beckett was on -- he struck out Willy Taveras looking at a 96-mph fastball to open the game, Kaz Matsui swinging at a 95-mph fastball and Matt Holliday swinging at a 94-mph fastball.

Beckett struck out Todd Helton swinging at a 94-mph fastball to open the second inning, the third-most strikeouts to start a World Series game behind the Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax, who struck out five to start a 1963 game against the New York Yankees, and the St. Louis Cardinals’ Mort Cooper, who fanned five to open a 1943 game against the Yankees.

“Going one-two-three, you always want that in the first inning,” Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis said. “But it kind of gets the mood set for these fans, they get even more excited when there’s three strikeouts. It gets Fenway Park rocking.”

The Rockies nicked Beckett for a run in the second when Garrett Atkins hit a one-out double and Troy Tulowitzki hit a two-out double off the Green Monster to pull Colorado within 3-1. After that, only two Rockies runners reached second against Beckett, and one reached third.

When Ryan Spilborghs flied to center to end the seventh, fans behind the Red Sox dugout rose in unison and the rest of Fenway followed suit, a rousing ovation that Beckett acknowledged with a tip of the cap.

“I don’t know,” Beckett said, when asked how he felt about his postseason. “I hope my teammates are happy. That’s who I’m really here to please. If they’re happy, I’m happy. They go out and bust their tail for me all the time, and I feel like I need to do my part and help carry my load.”

Beckett was not happy the last time he faced the Rockies, who tagged him for six runs and 10 hits in five innings of a 7-1 victory in Fenway on June 14, Beckett’s first loss of the season.

Did Beckett pour over a tape of that game to formulate a better game plan Wednesday night?

“I didn’t look at it one time, no,” Beckett said. “I try not to harp on those negative things too much. Obviously, that wasn’t a start that I want to go back and replay in my mind.

“I think I just kind of go with my strengths and execute those.”

Beckett, the former Florida ace who was named most valuable player of the 2003 World Series, became the ninth pitcher in history to win four games in one postseason, and he improved to 6-2 with a 1.73 ERA in 72 2/3 innings in 10 career postseason games.

Only two pitchers in history with 70 or more postseason innings have a lower ERA, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera (0.77) and Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson (1.06).

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com