BALTIMORE — Coco Crisp was out of the starting lineup again last night, missing his fourth straight start because of tightness in his left oblique, and could end up on the disabled list this weekend if his health doesn’t improve.

“Coco’s not as good as we wanted him to be,” said manager Terry Francona. “The plan of attack is to not play him [last night] or [tonight] and then we’ll try to make a decision when we get to New York (tomorrow, for the opener of a series against the Yankees), whether he needs to be on the DL or can he come back and play,” said Francona.

Francona said the medical staff has to determine whether it’s a bruise or a strain. Crisp did some work in the weight room on Tuesday and said he was sore. Francona said they weren’t sure if he was sore because he had worked out, or because of the oblique problem.

Crisp was cryptic when asked how he was felling.

“I’m fine,” said Crisp, walking away with trainer Paul Lessard.

Crisp last played in a game on Sunday. He was scratched from the starting lineup, but entered as a defensive replacement. If the Red Sox put Crisp on the 15-day DL, they can back-date it to this past Monday, April 23.

If Boston needs to call someone up, veteran Alex Ochoa is in Pawtucket. Prospect David Murphy, who had a good spring with the big club, is starting for the PawSox and likely would be another option. In the meantime, Wily Mo Pena — who had defensive problems in center while filling in for Crisp earlier this week — was back in center field last night.

Pena struggled again at the plate, whiffing three times in four official at-bats. In the four games he has started in place of Crisp, Pena has struck out an alarming 9 out of 14 times.

But he did make one positive contribution last night. Pena drew a leadoff walk in the fateful seventh, and scored the tie-breaking run on David Ortiz’s single.

Schilling finesses them

Curt Schilling improved his record to 3-1, once again proving that he doesn’t have to be a power pitcher to be a winner.

Schilling had only three strikeouts in his seven-inning stint, but gave up only one run, on a 2-and-0 hanging breaking ball to Miguel Tejada in the sixth that the Orioles’ shortstop hammered out of the ballpark to left field. That blast tied the game at 1-1.

But Schilling, handed a 4-1 advantage in the top of the seventh, surrendered only five hits— two of them after two were out in his seventh and final inning. His night ended on a long fly to right by leadoff batter Brian Roberts that was caught by J.D. Drew on the warning track.

The Orioles’ fans in the crowd of only 27,613 thought Roberts’ drive might have the legs to tie the game, but Schilling said he wasn’t worried.

"I didn’t think he hit it that good from the sound of it," said Schilling. "I felt pretty good about it."

He also felt satisfied with the victory.

"I’m not throwing 96 (mph) anymore but I can go deep in a game and get outs with the stuff I have," he said.

Cora in, Pedroia out

Alex Cora started last night at second base in place of rookie Dustin Pedroia, but even though the Orioles started a right-hander (Daniel Cabrera), it’s not a case of the Red Sox beginning to platoon the duo.

Cora, a left-handed hitter, has had considerable success (9-for-16, .563) against Cabrera. Cora also is batting .333 overall. Pedroia, a right-handed hitter, is batting only .191 overall.

“Pedroia will get back in there, but this is too good a night to pass up having Cora in there,” Francona said before the game, pointing to Cora’s track record against Cabrera.

Cora justified his manager’s decision by slugged a home run in the third inning last night.

Pedroia is expected to start tomorrow night.

Cora singled in his second at-bat, boosting his success rate against Cabrera to 11-for-18. But with a runner on first and none out in a tie game in the seventh, Francona gave Cora the bunt sign.

And Cora was expecting it, despite "owning" Cabrera. His bunt helped set up the pivotal three-run inning.

"You have your role," said Cora. "I’m hitting ninth. My job is to set the table for the big guys. Just because I had two good swings early in the game doesn’t mean I can pretend I’m someone else (an RBI guy). Move the runner over, play the game the right way and good things happen."

Manny asks in

Francona was thinking about giving struggling Manny Ramirez a game off last night.

But Ramirez wasn’t receptive to the idea. So he played, batting fourth as usual.

Ramirez, hitless in his first three at-bats, gave Boston a 3-1 lead with an RBI single in the seventh, and in the ninth, center fielder Corey Patterson robbed him of extra bases with a wall-banging catch. But the play went for a sacrifice fly, Manny’s second RBI of the game.

Ramirez is one of only three members of the Sox to play in all 20 games (J.D. Drew and David Ortiz are the others).

“I was going to sit Manny but he talked me out of it,” said Francona. “I keep thinking if he feels he wants to be in there, I’m hoping he’ll get hot. I’ve got to believe he feels he’s getting close. That’s a good sign.”

skrasner@projo.com