BOSTON -- The modern baseball world is ruled by statistics. Most are accurate and viable, while others are ridiculous and useless.

There is no stat that measures the importance of clear communication between a pitcher and his catcher, and if you're looking for one, all you have to do is take a good, hard look at Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek.

Varitek is a constant communicator who prepares vigorously for every game and every situation. The only problem is the Boston captain won't be around for the next four to six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee yesterday morning.

Doug Mirabelli, who is used primarily as Tim Wakefield's catcher, has filled the backup role. With Varitek out, Mirabelli has asssumed the top position. Boston is looking for another receiver and is having discussions with Baltimore in an attempt to land Javier Lopez.

For last night, at least, Ken Huckaby was called up from Pawtucket. (After the game, it was learned that he had been designated for assignment as Boston appeared to be opening up a roster spot for Lopez.)

But it was Huckaby who caught Josh Beckett's 23rd start of the season last night, and the two seemed quite comfortable working together. The catcher made only one trip to the mound to confer with Beckett, in the sixth inning. Until then, Beckett was cruising and held a two-run lead, but the starter allowed six runs on seven hits, including a two-run homer and a grand slam, as Cleveland defeated Boston at Fenway Park, 7-6.

Afterward, Beckett placed the onus on himself.

"That loss is all me," he said. "It's not on anybody else, it's strictly mine, and I deserve it. (Huckaby) was great, the poorly executed pitches were the problem. . . . It doesn't matter (who is catching) because I call my own game, anyway. We went over the hitters (Wednesday) night and again (yesterday), and he had a good feel for what I wanted to do. The game plan was good until the sixth inning."

Huckaby is best known around these parts as the Toronto Blue Jays catcher who dislocated Derek Jeter's shoulder on Opening Day in 2003.

A nasty collision at third base sent the Yankees' captain to the disabled list, and even though Huckaby did not play for Boston then, he quickly became a hero in the hearts and minds of Red Sox fans.

Boston signed the veteran major-league receiver to a minor-league contract last winter. He made his Red Sox debut at Fenway Park last night.

Coming into this situation couldn't have been easy for Huckaby, who was hitting .207 with two homers and 16 RBI in 68 games for the Pawtucket Red Sox. He took home a game tape of Beckett's last start against Cleveland, studied it Wednesday night, and the tandem seemed locked in early on last night.

"I'm really not concerned about Huck being up to speed," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "He's been in this league and he's a veteran. If anybody can handle this situation, he's the ultimate gamer. . . . Huck put on a clinic blocking balls. That wasn't an issue, nor did I think it would be. He's a professional catcher and he knows what he's doing back there."

The Red Sox had control early, until Beckett's meltdown in the sixth.

Boston took a 1-0 lead in first inning on Manny Ramirez's single, extending his hitting streak to 19 games. The RBI was the 1,500th of his career, making him the 45th player in major-league history to reach that milestone.

The Sox pushed across two runs in the second for a 3-0 advantage, thanks to RBI singles by Kevin Youkilis and Huckaby.

Cleveland got on the board in the third on a solo homer by Aaron Boone, and the Red Sox held the two-run lead until the bottom fell out on Beckett in the sixth. He allowed six runs on seven consecutive hits, including Travis Hafner's two-run homer and Shin-Soo Choo's grand slam. It was the first career slam for Choo. The ball landed just to the right of the 420-foot mark in the center-field triangle, the deepest part of the park.

"It was unexecuted pitches," said Beckett. "Against a good-hitting team, you can't leave balls over the middle of the plate. I was trying to get both those balls in on those guys, but left them over the middle."

Boston showed some resiliency by scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth and pushing across another in the eighth.

Meanwhile, Cleveland starter Jake Westbrook persevered. He lasted eight innings and yielded 15 hits and six runs but still got the win. It was the most hits allowed by a winning pitcher since 1988, when John Dopson did it for Montreal in a 9-2 win over Atlanta.

The key for Westbrook was keeping those hits from being too damaging -- 12 were singles and the other three doubles.

Jason Davis pitched the ninth and got his first career save.

jmcdonal@projo.com / (401) 277-7340