PHILADELPHIA -- The perception of John Lackey up until he threw his first pitch Wednesday night was hardly that of the kind of top-of-the-rotation anchor fans hang their hopeful hats on.

The 32-year-old had a big ERA, a big contract and a big problem when it came to mastering the art of explaining his postgame vision to those wondering what direction Lackey was headed in.

Some of that changed after the Red Sox' 2-1 loss to the Phillies. Lackey's ERA got a little smaller thanks to 7 2/3 innings in which he allowed just two runs. Other parts of the equation remained the same, with the pitcher once again showing his frustration with the media's line of questioning -- this time stemming from a statement from Peter Gammons on the Mut and Merloni Show that Tommy John surgery might very well be in the right-hander's future.

It was an outing that might have helped sway some of Lackey's critics, but most likely won't truly dent the tone of talk radio.

No matter.

"I root for John Lackey more than I root for myself," said Red Sox starter Josh Beckett after his team's loss.

And there you have it. There is the negativity that will keep coming the pitcher's way, just waiting to truly be dumped out once that next poor start comes around. As good as Lackey was Wednesday night, we've seen that such performances won't serve as impenetrable armor. But within the Red Sox clubhouse the script has always been flipped where Lackey is an enormously popular player, particularly among his rotation-mates.

The ERA. The flippant answers to postgame questioning. The uneven explanations. In the company of his teammates, those perceived peccadilloes aren't what define the pitcher. Among his teammates, the loyalty, commitment and opportunities to harness night's like his latest at Citizens Bank Park are what make the man.

"I think he still has the same stuff. We haven't seen the best of John Lackey," Beckett said. "It's definitely not a deal where we're thinking, 'His stuff just isn't' as good.' There are just a lot of other things. To me, he's my (gosh-darn) hero. What he's doing is the most amazing thing ever."

It's not a news flash that what Beckett is referring to is personal issues that Lackey want to remain personal. It's not a constant topic of conversation, but as the staff ace points out, the pressures are understood. The Beckett comment helps identifies the dividing line that Lackey is living with in regard to opinions from the inside and outside.

Again, Beckett …

"To me, he's my (gosh-darn) hero."

Before Wednesday, this hasn't exactly been the company line for those calling up to talk all things Lackey.

Heading into this latest start, those voices suggesting it was time to start thinking about shipping the starter to the bullpen were gaining steam. And why? Because Lackey allowed five runs in 3 1/3 innings on a sloppy day at Fenway Park after going 3-0 while holding opponents to a .236 batting average to go along with 15 strikeouts and four walks since coming off the 15-day disabled list.

Not helping matters was another terse response after the June 22 bump in the road. This time Lackey claimed the media would write whatever they wanted to write in regards to a fairly innocuous question. It would be fair to say that "hero" wasn't muttered by those reporters leaving the room that day. It would also be fair to say that for Lackey, changing such thinking wasn't exactly a priority.

Fair or not, when it comes to this pitcher -- perhaps more than any other Red Sox pitcher in recent memory -- continue to take sides. That's fine. But before the battle lines are further cemented, the facts should be surfaced:

- Lackey can help this team, and do so at a level many dismiss as a thing of the pitcher's past. He already owns a three-game run earlier this season, from April 19-30, that saw him compile a 1.35 ERA, giving up three runs over 20 innings. Then the elbow started barking, and there were two more subpar starts before heading to the DL.

"His elbow is feeling better. David [Ortiz] says it best, John Lackey's deal in LA was that he could throw 92-94 mph, but then he had two different breaking balls that look exactly the same. I saw that today," Beckett said.

- The elbow problems that were the talk of the town Wednesday are what they are, problems. Lackey has admitted that he has issues when it comes to that body part. But he also has offered some optimism that it is a manageable situation, and talk of such measures as Tommy John surgery are items that Lackey feels somebody "straight made that up."

"You could say the same thing about every pitcher in baseball, that every pitcher in baseball might have to have Tommy John surgery at some point," said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein. "But, as I said, John had an elbow [injury] — we're not hiding that.  He had an elbow injury earlier in this year and he's had a history with some elbow issues in the past. The shot alleviated some of the symptoms, now it's our responsibility to monitor him and make sure those symptoms don't come back and make sure he's healthy enough to go out and pitch and pitch effectively. It's something as with all of our players that we monitor on a daily basis."

- Lackey is making a noticeable effort to offer more patient with postgame line of questioning he might find frustrating. But it is a practice that isn't quite perfected, leading to exchanges like the one toward the end of his media meeting Wednesday night.

"You guys are brutal," he said when asked for a third time about the report he might need Tommy John surgery, this question asking to clarify if such an operation had been discussed. "No, there hasn't been (any talk of surgery)."

- Lackey has been closer to the pitcher we saw Wednesday night, than the one offered up against the Padres in his last start. Take away that San Diego start and in four of the five starts he has made since coming off the disabled list Lackey has an ERA of 3.95, striking out 20 in 27 1/3 innings while walking just ice.

"For the most part, my starts since then I've been throwing the ball pretty good," he said. "I had one bad start in the rain, that's about it."

Identifying the good and bad of Lackey simply seems more subjective than most. Maybe that will change with more nights like Wednesday. But the one thing that can be agreed upon by both sides of the equation is that Lackey represents an important piece of the Sox' championship puzzle.

Josh Beckett's hero … still the talk of the town.