BOSTON –– Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew referred to last night’s 10-6 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park as a “tip-your-cap” game.

Manager Terry Francona said things didn’t unfold the way the club hoped they would, especially giving up the lead late in the game.

Red Sox starter Josh Beckett called it a battle, and reliever Hideki Okajima didn’t stick around long enough afterward to comment. .

Okajima suffered the loss, surrendering the Sox’ 6-4 lead in the seventh inning, when he allowed the Orioles to score three runs on only two hits.

“He was up with a lot of pitches and behind in the count,” said Francona.

While Okajima’s struggles continue to haunt the Red Sox, some good came out of last night’s defeat.

Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia snapped his five-game hitless skid with a 2-for-3 performance, including a double, and two runs scored. It’s no secret that when Pedroia does well offensively and defensively, Boston usually has a good shot at winning.

“He swung the bat well,” Francona said. “It was good to see. He’s looked at a lot of video and feels good about his adjustments. He took some pretty healthy swings tonight.”

Pedroia is the type of player who doesn’t allow something like an 0-for-18 drought to affect his game. He’ll get the job done defensively until he’s able to string together consistent at-bats. Even though the numbers of late don’t show that, he certainly believes it.

“I’ve been having nice at-bats for a while, just haven’t had much luck,” he said. “I’ll get going. I’ll hit. I’m not worried about it.”

 Pedroia made a few nice defensive plays last night, but also had a miscue late in the game. The Orioles entered the top of the ninth inning with a one-run lead, and reliever Craig Hansen was on the mound. The hard-throwing right-hander allowed a leadoff single before getting the Orioles’ Melvin Mora to hit a soft grounder to shortstop.

The Sox’ Alex Cora charged the ball, gloved it and made a quick throw to Pedroia at the bag. Francona called it a very difficult play, saying he didn’t think Pedroia even saw the quick feed from Cora.

“I thought Alex was going to flip it to me,” said Pedroia. “I was on the back edge of the bag and when he threw it, it kind of caught me off guard. Those things happen, especially if you play up the middle. There will be times when you try to get two and force it. In that situation, I should have just caught the ball and gotten one instead of trying for two.”

Baltimore loaded the bases and ended up scoring three runs (two earned).

After Monday’s day off, the Sox got right to it in the first inning last night. Beckett retired the side in order before Boston pushed across a run in the bottom of the inning for a 1-0 lead.

The Sox’ ace struggled in the second as the Orioles scored four runs on three hits. Beckett hit a batter and allowed a pair of two-run doubles, to Freddie Bynum and Brian Roberts, as Baltimore took a 4-1 lead.

Beckett settled in rest of the way, and his offense responded. The Sox scored two runs in the third and added three more in the fifth for a 6-4 advantage. In the fifth, J.D. Drew provided a two-run home run and Manny Ramirez added a solo shot, the 505th of his career, to surpass Eddie Murray for 22nd place all-time. For Drew, it was his third home run in as many games and his fifth in the last nine contests.

“That was such a pretty swing,” said Francona. “That ball went a long way.”

That was all the offense the Red Sox could muster as the Orioles pounded Okajima for three runs in the seventh and added three more off Hansen in the ninth.

“It was tough,” said Pedroia. “We had that lead and didn’t hold it. Then we kind of came apart there at the end. We’re still playing good baseball; we just have to let this one go and come out [today] and try to win.”