BOSTON — Bryan Corey wore number 41 when he pitched for the Red Sox last night, but back in Pawtucket, Ben Mondor and his guys had him down as number 13.

Thirteen is not unlucky in this case. Rather, it is impressive.

Corey is the 13th player to jump from Pawtucket to Boston this season. Like so many of the others, he did what was asked of him. He pitched a scoreless inning in relief, protecting a 4-3 lead, before the Sox fell to Toronto, 6-4. As he dressed to join his teammates for a flight to Baltimore, Corey had mixed feelings.

“It felt good to get back out there,” he said. “I just want to contribute any way I can. I just wish we could have won.” Corey adds to what is one of the longest lists ever of PawSox turned into Red Sox in one season.

The first 12 to make the drive up Route 95 include two of the organization’s most prized prospects, Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury.

Then there are Jon Lester, Manny Delcarmen, Javier Lopez, Bobby Kielty, Jeff Bailey, Devern Hansack, Kevin Cash, Brandon Moss and the two guys dealt to Texas in the Eric Gagne trade, David Murphy and Kason Gabbard. In addition, Craig Breslow was called up but not used, and Royce Clayton is now with the Sox but has yet to get in a game.

Corey, at age 33, is not likely to be a long-term part of the team. He knows that.

“I understand my role,” he said. “Whenever I can get a chance to pitch, I have to try to go out, get a zero and help this team however I can.”

He is an example of the depth in the organization. He has had previous service with Arizona in 1998 and with Texas and Boston last season.

This spring, Corey allowed only two earned runs in 12 innings for the Sox but was one of the final cuts breaking camp. Corey appeared in 58 games for Pawtucket, all in relief, and compiled a 6-8 record and a 3.68 earned-run average. After a slow start, he had a 2.83 ERA in his last 48 outings. Last night, he came in protecting a one-run lead.

“It was nice that he (manager Terry Francona) had the confidence to put me in that game. It helps my confidence, as well,” he said.

“I thought he was good,” Francona said of Corey. “Obviously, pitching him in that situation there’s some confidence there with him. He’s been here before and he’s done a good job. He’s been a victim of roster things last year, and this year there were times when he certainly probably wanted a call-up, but the lack of flexibility with him (no options left), we didn’t want to lose him. There are a lot of people, myself included, who think he can pitch.”

“It’s baseball,” Corey said of not making the team out of spring training. “I’ve played long enough to know that’s the way it goes. This game, whether it’s fair or not, that’s the way it is. I’ve learned over the years that you’ve just got to keep pushing and pushing. I didn’t have the best year down there. I wasn’t terribly satisfied with it, but I pitched pretty well. I did what I can do — put the ball in play and minimize pitches.”

Corey came on in relief of Curt Schilling in the seventh and gave up a single to Vernon Wells but then got Matt Stairs on a double-play ball and Alex Rios on a routine grounder.

pkenyon@projo.com