Beckett outing out of control at times

Josh Beckett talks privately with plate ump Bruce Dreckman after the second inning. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff)

Josh Beckett didn't like the look of Cleveland batter Ryan Garko last night. More accurately, he didn't like the large elbow pad Garko wore to protect his left arm, almost as much as he didn't like losing to the Indians, 4-3.

Cleveland's victory meant the Sox failed to clinch a playoff spot when they could have, and it meant that Beckett had to pick apart his mistakes after taking the loss, including a career-high three hit batsmen. One of them was Garko, and the size of his protective equipment peeved Beckett.

"I don't think I had control issues," said Beckett. "One guy had gigantic body armor on the whole [expletive] left side of his body. I get up 1-and-2 on him and then he [expletive] lays over the plate, and then it's in his [expletive] elbow pad. Whether or not he has a doctor's note for it, I don't know.

"I don't think that they enforce those rules so I guess guys are just going to do that when you get 1-and-2. I don't think the pitch was that far off the plate."

Beckett stopped to talk to the umpire after leaving the mound at the end of the second.

"Yeah, I mentioned it," said Beckett, "but he said he tried to get out of the way. It's a matter of opinion. I don't disagree with him. I just know I hit him on his elbow pad and I didn't think the ball was that far in."

In six innings, Beckett (12-10) gave up seven hits, struck out six, and walked only one, but also hit the three batters. He gave up four runs, all earned, his highest total since allowing eight in 2 1/3 innings Aug. 17, the last game before he went on the disabled list with right elbow inflammation.

"I was all right, I gave up three hard-hit balls and I don't think you can really complain about that," said Beckett. "They placed some other balls where people weren't, and then, the run that I walked in."

Beckett's troubles surfaced in the second inning. After getting two outs, he gave up a ground-rule double into the left-field corner to Ben Francisco. He hit the next batter, Garko. Then he hit Kelly Shoppach, too, loading the bases. The No. 9 batter, Asdrubal Cabrera, drew a walk, scoring Francisco. That's when pitching coach John Farrell and catcher Jason Varitek headed to the mound for a conference. Beckett struck out the next batter, Grady Sizemore, but he seemed unnerved.

"You hit two guys after you get two outs and you walk in a run, that's the difference in the game," he said.

"He kind of battled all day, actually, for him," said Varitek. "He didn't have a real good feel from the get-go. Some balls fell in for them at the right times.

"He just had a tough feel on the ball. He wasn't quite as sharp as he was the last time around. He was misfortunate today. We knew Garko was sticking that elbow guard out there. Some balls may have been a little far inside also."

As for Garko, he said it was just a simple play.

"It was a fastball that just ran up and in," said Garko, who didn't think the elbow pad was a factor. "They have guys who wear them, too. I'm not the only guy who wears one. It's a nonissue, if you ask me."

Beckett hit another batter, Francisco, near the end of Cleveland's three-run fifth, but closed out the inning on the next batter, Garko, on a fielder's choice.

However, three singles and a double already had set up three runs for the Indians in the inning. The Red Sox never could catch up.

Manager Terry Francona acknowledged that Beckett was less than sharp.

"A couple of innings, he ran into periods of three, four hitters where he just lost his command," said Francona. "One inning he had a walk and two hit batsmen, threw two into righties that clipped them. In [the fifth] they scored three. He left a couple of balls in the middle.

"Other than that, I thought he was real good. Again, it was a couple of those innings and that's what led to the runs."