A battered Beckett accepts all the blame
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There was no tunnel dark enough to hide Josh Beckett's feelings after the Red Sox' 15-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park yesterday. The 28-year-old righthander struck out the first batter of the game, Joe Inglett, then surrendered five hits and six runs in a painfully long inning. The Blue Jays batted around, giving Inglett the opportunity to ground to shortstop for the third out. It took 36 pitches for Beckett to escape the first.
Beckett (11-9) gave up eight runs, all earned, in 2 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits, including a home run, before manager Terry Francona yanked him. Beckett sat in the dugout for a while, stewing, then got up, ripped off his shirt, and went down the tunnel to the clubhouse.
In his absence, the Sox did not pick it up; six more pitchers spent time on the mound, combining to allow 14 more hits (only Jonathan Papelbon did not give up a hit), as the Blue Jays bounded into double figures on the scoreboard. Indeed, double double figures.
The Sox allowed 10 doubles, the most they'd allowed in a game since 1956, and gave up a season-high 22 hits, their most since giving up 22 to the Rangers at Fenway June 11, 2006. They have allowed 10 or more hits in four of their last five games, and lost this one by 11 runs, the largest losing margin of the season.
"That was a bad day all the way around," a subdued Beckett said.
"Obviously, you want to win all your home games - you want to win all your games, period. You know you're going to lose some but you don't want to lose them the way we lost, which basically amounts to losing before you ever get your first at-bat. It's unfortunate. All the blame should go to one person, and the right person got that blame."
Beckett was talking about himself, of course, but batterymate Jason Varitek stepped back to offer some perspective. "It was one of those days, everyone has them," Varitek said, "and Josh hasn't had one of those days."
But Beckett was having none of that. He spoke calmly, but bit off the words with controlled anger. "The pitches that they hit were bad pitches," he said. "They caught too much of the plate and they were up . . . They were just really, really bad pitches. Well, good pitches to hit."
There was nothing wrong with Beckett - he was healthy - he just couldn't do anything right. Last Monday, he held the White Sox to one run in eight innings, but against the Jays he looked helpless. Beckett loaded the bases in the first on a single, a double, and a walk, then gave up a single to Adam Lind, which scored two when left fielder Jason Bay made a throwing error. Beckett hit the next batter, Rob Barajas, with a pitch, and then gave up a single to Lyle Overbay to score two more runs. John McDonald eventually doubled home Barajas and Overbay.
"It was frustrating," said Beckett. "Give up eight [expletive] runs - pretty frustrating. That's what it is."
It was the shortest outing for Beckett since June 5, 2006, when he went 1 1/3 innings at Yankee Stadium.
"That was a bad day," said Francona.
The manager is not worried about an overreaction from Beckett.
"Beckett's come so far since from when we first got to know him, that things that would have got in the way maybe when he was younger, won't," Francona said. "He'll work, he'll make the adjustments . . . He'll handle it."
Barbara Matson can be reached at matson@globe.com. 
