BALTIMORE — For the second consecutive night, David Ortiz came to the plate in a key spot.

This time, there were runners on first and third with two outs, and the Red Sox trailing the Orioles, 2-1.

Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo went to the mound and made a pitching change, once again bringing in a left-hander to face Ortiz.

One night earlier, in a similarly important spot, Perlozzo called for a left-hander. His name was Jamie Walker, and Baltimore signed him to a three-year, $12-million deal in the off-season just for such circumstances, to face Ortiz in a big spot.

Ortiz, though, won that 11-pitch battle, blooping a tie-breaking single that vaulted Boston to a 6-1 victory. That was the only batter Walker faced.

The lefty of choice this time, though, was not Walker. It was John Parrish.

With the Orioles playing a shift, moving their third baseman, Melvin Mora, into the spot where the shortstop usually plays, Ortiz faked a bunt on the first pitch, though it looked as if he were taking all the way.

That breaking pitch was a ball, but the next one was a strike. And this time, Perlozzo’s move with Ortiz paid off. Ortiz tapped the next breaking ball to the mound, preserving for the moment, at least, Baltimore’s lead.

Roberts the base thief

The Orioles’ Brian Roberts is a good base stealer. He had swiped 136 bases in his career heading into this season.

Good speed is part of it, but good scouting also pays a part in getting a big jump.

Roberts led off last night’s game against Josh Beckett with a well-crushed double to right center. He took his lead off second as Beckett was preparing to throw his first pitch to Melvin Mora, the second hitter in the Orioles’ order.

No one was keeping Roberts close. Beckett looked back while he was in the stretch position. But Roberts clearly expected it to be a one-look, hold-him-close strategy because as soon as Beckett turned his head back to the plate, Roberts was taking short, quick steps toward third, building up momentum for a stolen-base attempt.

Sure enough, Beckett didn’t look back again. So as Beckett delivered his pitch, Roberts had such a great jump that catcher Jason Varitek didn’t even bother throwing to third. It was Roberts’ seventh stolen base of the year.

So in essence, Roberts stole Baltimore a run and 1-0 lead. He scored on Nick Markakis’s one-out grounder to second.

Interestingly, in the sixth, Mora led off with a double. Before his first pitch to the next hitter, Beckett whirled around on the rubber as if he were going to make a pickoff throw, forcing Mora to take a step closer to the bag.

Whiffing Wily gets last laugh

Pity poor Wily Mo Pena.

He made his fifth straight start in place of injured Coco Crisp in center field. The first four games did not go well, especially at trhe plate. He whiffed 9 times in 14 at-bats.

So last night, Pena absolutely crushed a 1-2 pitch from left-hander Adam Loewen, a seed seemingly headed just inside the first-base bag and down the line for extra bases.

But Pena has no luck these days.

Aubrey Huff was holding on Varitek at first. He lunged to his left and snagged the frozen rope, his momentum taking him a step in that direction, which plopped his foot on the bag for a double play.

Pena had the last laugh, though, launching a towering grand slam off flame throwing Baltimore closer Chris Ray in the eighth.

Perlozzo strategy

Some interesting strategy from Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo in the third, with the Orioles ahead, 1-0.

Ramon Hernandez led off the inning with a double, bringing up the No. 9 hitter, Corey Patterson.

The situation cried out “bunt.” The Orioles lead the American League with eight sacrifice bunts. Perlozzo, though, did not put on the sacrifice bunt sign. He let Patterson swing away, trying to move the runner over with a swing instead of a bunt. Patterson succeeded, pulling an 0-and-2 pitch on the ground to first, sending Hernandez to third on the groundout.

Hernandez wound up scoring on Melvin Mora’s two-out double just fair, bounced over the third-base bag.

Ramirez the strong

Manny Ramirez is one of the strongest hitters in the game.

That strength doesn’t pay off just in long balls. Ramirez is also strong enough to hold up his swing as he recognizes pitches. In his sixth-inning at-bat, Ramirez twice was twoce fooled by sliders, especially a tough 1-and-2 pitch that broke late and sharply into the dirt, but was able to hold up his swing, leading to a walk that filled the bases with none out.

skrasner@projo.com