BOSTON — The sight of Kyle Snyder warming up in the Red Sox bullpen in the bottom of the fourth inning was not a good sign.

Everyone in the ballpark noticed it. The television cameras noticed it. Why was the Boston reliever up when starter Josh Beckett was cruising? At that point, the right-hander had just completed four innings against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing two runs on two hits, while striking out seven.

The problem? He tore a piece of skin on the tip of his middle finger on his throwing hand, forcing him from the game. Officially, the Red Sox called it an “evulsion,” but either way the ace had only a Band-Aid covering the wound after Boston beat the Orioles, 6-5, in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the ninth inning yesterday.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona and Beckett said after the game they’re just going to see how the injured finger reacts in the next couple of days before deciding if the pitcher will make his next scheduled start on Friday against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park.

“It’s a shame, because he was throwing the ball about as good as you could throw it,” said Francona. “The good side of that is because it was a tear and not a blister, it shouldn’t get worse. We do have to let it heel. I don’t think there’s any need to panic or overreact, but I do think we need to use caution, which we will. But we won’t know for a couple of days.”

After allowing two runs on two hits in the first inning yesterday, Beckett retired 10 of the next 11 batters he faced. Before he retired the side in order in the fourth, it was on a one-out, first-pitch curveball to the Orioles’ Kevin Millar that the skin tore away.

Beckett said he tried to bite the skin off, but wasn’t successful. As a result he threw six straight fastballs to Millar, who is strictly a fastball hitter, before the former Red Sox popped out to second base. The Orioles’ Jay Gibbons saw just two pitches, a splitter and fastball, before he grounded out to second.

When Beckett left the game, the initial feeling was he must have a blister, a problem he’s had during his career and has spent time on the disabled list because of it. In fact, it was last May 15 against Baltimore at Camden Yards when he was taken out of a game after the seventh inning due to the blister problem.

But that wasn’t the case yesterday.

“It ended up being a little worse than I first thought it was,” Beckett said. “If you don’t address them almost immediately, it ends up being a month-long deal. So it was probably the best thing to do for Tito to take me out.”

During spring training Beckett said he’s been dealing with hand eczema for almost his entire life, which was causing blister and callus problems. He said after yesterday’s game that it has been under control this season, and he’s hoping it will not be a problem again.

“Any time something happens to that finger it brings back so many old memories,” said Beckett. “I just have to keep grinding it out. It’s not something I can control or there’s something I can do different. I’m doing the same thing I did all of last year. I’m doing the same thing this year and in spring training, and all of my last year in Florida. I can’t control it, and if I let it eat me up it will be counterproductive.”

He also said this is the second time during his pro career this particular situation has occurred. The other, he thinks, happened in 2002. Because he’s been through this before, Beckett believes it’s easy to come back from a tear than it is a blister.

“We’ve got to get it to dry out and then toughen it up,” he said. “What the timetable is? I’m not sure what we’re looking at. Hopefully I can make my start, but that’s a big hopefully.”

If Beckett isn’t available for his next start, it’s possible Jon Lester, who threw a 40-pitch bullpen session yesterday and is scheduled to throw again Wednesday as he continues his rehab, could be ready for a spot-start on Friday if needed.

Since Snyder replaced Beckett yesterday, however, it’s more likely he could make the start on Friday. Another option would be to call someone up from Pawtucket.

Other than Beckett’s skin situation yesterday, he was very effective during his eighth start of the season and remains at 7-0.

“As far as stuff goes, it was up there with any game I’ve pitched this year or last year,” he said. “That’s the frustrating thing. . . As soon as it heals, and I’m able to throw all my pitches effectively, I’ll be back out there.”

jmcdonal@projo.com