This just in: The Red Sox are good.

The conclusion regarding the Sox' lot in life could be reached after watching them prance through the home parks of three-fifths of the American League East, going 8-1 on their road trip. It was the best mark on a nine-gamer away from Fenway for a Red Sox team since 1977.

The Sox have won 11 of their last 12, good enough to head home with a 41-27 mark and a 1 1/2-game lead on the second-place Yankees.

Their latest visit to the winner's circle came courtesy of a 4-2 win over the third-place Rays (recap). It completed a three-game series in which the Red Sox took two wins despite scoring a total of seven runs (this after scoring 35 in their previous three-game set in Toronto).

It offered another example of the original premise: The Red Sox are good.

How good? Well, here is where they ranked in baseball since leaving Fenway Park June 5:

Runs: First (67)

OPS: Second (.875)

Batting average with runners in scoring position: First (.364)

ERA: Seventh (2.70)

Batting average against: First (.175)

The Sox' starting pitchers allowed just 18 earned runs in 60 1/3 innings (2.68 ERA), striking out 49 and walking 19. In the nine games, they gave up just five home runs.

Besides the fact that this club can officially be classified as being good, here are some other things we learned on the memorable road swing:

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR FOR DUSTIN PEDROIA

The second baseman had some concern, even while he was collecting hits in Yankee Stadium. His right knee, the same one which had led to a cortisone shot last season, had been bothering him since banging it May 16. It became enough of an issue that an examination was scheduled on the Sox' final day in New York.

What transpired was this: Not only did the exam show no further damage to the cartilage in his right knee, but by getting to watch the procedure on a video screen as it unfolded, Pedroia was offered the ultra-valuable commodity that is peace of mind.

The end result was Pedroia raising his batting average to .262, 18 points higher than it was when he left Fenway. The No. 2 hitter finished the road trip hitting .387 with a .513 on-base percentage. (Both were numbers that could have been higher if not for Tampa Bay outfielder Matt Joyce robbing Pedroia in the ninth inning Thursday night.)

But a number that truly jumps off the page when looking at his last eight games is the .714 batting average with runners in scoring position (5-fo-7, 2 walks). Pedroia also had three hits in five at-bats with four walks against lefties on the trip, leading the majors with a .517 OBP vs. southpaws.

Speaking of the Red Sox and left-handed pitching …

LEFTIES HAVE BEEN ALL RIGHT WITH THE RED SOX

With their win over All-Star starter David Price Thursday night, the Sox have won 11 straight games in which a lefty has started. It is the longest such streak since the Angels went on a similar run in 2009.

Much had been made regarding the concern revolving the plethora of lefty bats in the Red Sox batting order, and good left-handed arms in the American League East. But those worries have subsided, as the road trip showcased.

The Sox beat two of the elite left-handers in the game in the Yankees' CC Sabathia and Price of the Rays, while also destroying Toronto left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes.

While the Red Sox didn't manage a home run against a left-hander on the road trip, they still hit .275 with a .373 OBP. Both respectable, and both close to their season totals against lefties.

As for all those lefties in the Sox' lineup … David Ortiz (.333), Adrian Gonzalez (.292), and Jacoby Ellsbury (.274) are all among the league leaders in batting average for lefties hitting against lefties. As for the road trip, Ellsbury finished going 5-for-10 when facing southpaws.

THIS MIGHT BE THE BEST RUN OF JOSH BECKETT'S CAREER

Beckett has always been quick to cite the 18-game streak he had in '09 (from May 5-Aug. 14) as the best stretch of his career. During that period, he went 12-2 with a 2.17 ERA, striking out 114 and walking 26.

Well, if you look at the first 14 starts of that run and compare it to Beckett's initial 14 starts this season, you might come to the conclusion that the righty has never been better.

2009 (May 5-July 21): 9-2, 2.33 ERA, 86 Ks, 20 BB, .207 batting average against, 100 1/3 innings. 

2011: 6-2, 1.86 ERA, 79 Ks, 30 BB, .174 BAA, 92 IP. 

Now, let's take it to another level by looking at how Beckett compares to Pedro Martinez' first 14 starts in his memorable seasons of 1999 and '00.

1999: 12-2, 2.17 ERA, 151 Ks, 21 BB, .211 BAA, 103 2/3 IP. 

2000: 9-3, 1.44 ERA, 140 Ks, 20 BB, .164 BAA, 106 IP.

It should be noted that both during Beckett's stretch in '09 and Pedro's first 14 games in '99 (in which he finished at 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA) and '00 (18-6, 1.74 ERA), the run support was more than five runs per game. Beckett is only getting just over three runs each contest this season.

The consensus should be that while Beckett's start hasn't matched Pedro in '00, he can certainly make the case that this is the best of his career.

MARCO SCUTARO HAS BECOME VERY VALUABLE

Jed Lowrie's left shoulder continues to be a problem since he collided with Carl Crawford on May 29. He hasn't gotten a hit in his last 15 at-bats and finished the road trip 1-for-18. 

Lowrie's latest setback came Thursday night when he was removed from the Sox' win after striking out in the first inning with the bases loaded. The explanation after the game was that the shortstop felt like the shoulder might have popped out a bit. He will be re-examined in Boston Friday.

Drew Sutton, the logical replacement for Lowrie if he has to go on the 15-day disabled list, was pulled from the Pawtucket Red Sox game Thursday night, potentially setting the scene for a roster move.

With Lowrie battling the injury, Scutaro has stepped up. The shortstop finished the road trip hitting .379 to go along with a .419 on-base percentage.

Scutaro has reached base safely in each of his last 11 games, hitting .425 (17-for-40) with a .465 OBP dating back to May 3. 

REST HAS DONE DANIEL BARD GOOD

Bard pitched for just the third time on the road trip Thursday night, spinning a flawless 1 1/3 innings. 

The reliever has allowed just three hits while not surrendering a walk or a run in his last eight appearances. It's a stretch that has seen him average just 10 pitches per appearance.

Bard still has appeared in the seventh-most games in the majors (32), but is well down the list in terms of pitches thrown by a reliever (493). At this same time last season, Bard had appeared in 33 games, while having thrown 522 pitches.