BOSTON –– Josh Beckett didn’t figure in the decision, and he only went six innings.

Yet the right-hander turned in an encouraging outing in only his second start since spending a few weeks on the disabled list because of tingling and numbness in a couple of fingers on his right hand.

Until tiring in his final two innings, Beckett’s fastball showed some life and his breaking ball had a good amount of bite.

The fact that Beckett was able to snap off as many sharp breaking balls as he did, in particular befuddling Eric Hinske for two of his seven strikeouts, should demonstrate he is not experiencing the tingling and numbness that plagued him in the middle of last month.

That is probably the best news to come out of his performance last night.

His inexperience showed

There is much debate as to whether the experience of having been in a pennant race means anything in the here and now.

The way Dioner Navarro looked at the plate in the eighth inning would lead you to believe that experience does matter — a lot.

Navarro batted with the bases loaded, one out and the game tied at 1-1. The first two pitches from Red Sox rookie Justin Masterson were called balls. Plate umpire Dan Iassogna, who had a very inconsistent strike zone all night, called the next pitch a strike, a questionable call. Navarro fouled the fourth pitch, running the count to 2 and 2.

This is where Navarro’s inexperience showed. Masterson was having trouble with his command, but the Rays’ catcher, apparently not wanting to risk another questionable call from Iassogna, clearly made up his mind to swing as soon as the ball left the right-hander’s hand instead of seeing the ball first.

As a result, Navarro, batting left-handed, flailed and missed a cutter that almost hit him on the right knee for a crucial whiff.

Masterson got out of the jam on Gabe Gross’ grounder to second.

Teams don’t like to sacrifice

Doesn’t anyone bunt anymore?

The Red Sox, whose total of 24 sacrifice bunts is the third-lowest total in the American League, opted not to have Jacoby Ellsbury sacrifice with runners at first and second and none out in the third. Boston manager Terry Francona no doubt figured even if Ellsbury hit the ball on the ground, the speedster wouldn’t hit into a double play. Ellsbury, though, hit into a double play.

The Rays had a runner at second and none out in the eighth in a 1-1 game. No bunt for Tampa, which has successfully sacrificed a league-low 19 times his season. The Rays eventually loaded the bases with one out, but didn’t score.

In the ninth, still tied at 1-1, Tampa’s Jason Bartlett drew a leadoff walk from Masterson. Tampa manager Joe Maddon didn’t have his leadoff batter, Akinori Iwamura, drop down a bunt. The first pitch was a ball, and on the second pitch, Maddon put on a hit-and-run.

That’s a risky play with a pitcher such as Masterson, who was all over the place with his pitches. His high-and-outside fastball was unhittable. Iwamura waved his bat at the ball but couldn’t reach it. Bartlett was thrown out at second, defusing the rally, when shortstop Jed Lowrie made a sweet pickup and tag of Kevin Cash’s short-hop throw.

The Sox had another opportunity to bunt after a leadoff walk to Mike Lowell in the 1-1 game in the ninth. But Mark Kotsay, followed by the numbers eight and nine hitters in the lineup, was not asked to bunt. He flied to center. So who would have thought it would be David Ortiz dropping down the sacrifice bunt in the 12th?

Ump rules fan interference

Third-base umpire Mark Wegner ruled fan interference on Mike Lowell’s foul fly down the left-field line in the second, giving left fielder Dan Johnson credit for a putout and bringing Boston manager Terry Francona out of the dugout for an argument.

Johnson went into a feet-first slide as he neared the stands. His head was turned away from the stands as he reached out his glove in an attempt to make a sliding catch. The fan reached over into the field of play. Replays showed he may not have touched the ball, which fell harmlessly to the dirt.

Wegner, though, ruled fan interference.

Francona argued with Wegner. All four umpires convened for a discussion, away from Francona. The call was upheld. Lowell was out.

Francona had a disagreement with the second-base umpire, too. Dale Scott ruled second baseman Akinori Iwamura was in the act of taking the ball out of his glove when it fell to the ground on a fielder’s choice flip from shortstop Jason Bartlett.

The discussion didn’t last very long, nor did it get particularly heated before Francona, unable to change Scott’s mind, retreated to the Sox’ dugout.

Francona tried his luck with first-base umpire Ron Kulpa, too, on a close call with two outs and runners at first and second in the ninth. Kulpa called Ellsbury out. Francona didn’t get any satisfaction from Kulpa, either. Replays seemed to indicate Ellsbury beat the throw by an eyelash.

skrasner@projo.com