BOSTON –– Josh Beckett did not have his good stuff. Not even close to it.

He wasn’t always on the same page with catcher Jason Varitek, especially with men on base, and there were many Orioles on the basepaths while he was on the mound last night at sweltering Fenway Park.

Yet, Josh Beckett was the ace pitcher the Red Sox needed him to be, surviving six innings and holding off Baltimore long enough for Boston’s offense, notably J.D. Drew and Manny Ramirez, to break out the thunder sticks in putting the Sox ahead and for the bullpen not to become too taxed.

Okay, so it didn’t all work out favorably for Beckett and the Sox Tuesday night because Hideki Okajima fell prey to the Birds yet again, blowing his third save in five chances against Baltimore this season.

Still, with what Beckett had –– or didn’t have –– he persevered.

An ace doesn’t have to throw dominant shutouts all the time, or work seven or more innings each outing. Naturally, that would be nice, but it’s not going to happen. An ace also has to have the ability to grit his way through games when in which he’s struggling, find a way to give his team a chance to win on those nights when he doesn’t have lights-out stuff.

And that’s what Beckett did last night. He labored mightily through 113 pitches in his six-inning stint on a night where the first-pitch temperature was 93 degrees.

In the second inning, Beckett was unable to find his rhythm and looked lost, seemingly on his way to an early shower when he gave up four runs in a 37-pitch nightmare that put the Red Sox in a 4-1 hole.

That, though, was all the Orioles could muster against Beckett despite banging out eight hits.

Not that Beckett held Baltimore off by himself. His defense was extremely helpful.

Coco Crisp made a leaping catch at the center-field fence, saving a run in the fourth. Varitek threw out Nick Markakis trying to steal second base in the fifth. And Dustin Pedroia made a pair of defensive gems — one on a grounder, the other on a soft liner to center — in guiding Beckett through his sixth and final inning.

All in all, it was not a start for the Beckett highlight reel. But when he left, the Red Sox were ahead, 6-4, and the bullpen was set up in good shape to put away the game. It was, in many ways, an ace-like performance by Beckett.