BALTIMORE – This is how the Baltimore Orioles expected their entire season to go when they headed north after spring training.

Emergency substitute Eric Davis homered off Pedro Martinez in the eighth inning to snap a tie and lift Baltimore past the Boston Red Sox 3-2 Friday night.

The Orioles got solid starting pitching backed by a sparkling effort from the bullpen. They ran the bases aggressively, and when one player went out with an injury, his replacement got the game-winning hit.

Davis, who replaced a hobbled Harold Baines in the sixth, lined a 1-0 pitch over the center-field wall with two outs in the inning. It was his 12th homer of the season and first since June 20.

“I really felt that was going to be our strength,” Baltimore manager Ray Miller said. “No matter who you put in the lineup at DH, you’ve got two professional hitters.”

Mike Bordick also homered for the Orioles, who played in their fifth straight one-run game. Baltimore is 2-3 in that span.

Despite the victory, the Orioles are 10 games under .500 and 13 1/2 games behind Boston in the wild-card hunt. But Baltimore isn’t about to abandon hope of turning things around in the second half.

“We have a lot of pride over here,” Davis said. “We never quit, our manager’s not quitting and nobody in the clubhouse is going to quit.”

Martinez (11-3), vying for his sixth straight victory, allowed three runs and five hits in eight innings. He has both of Boston’s complete games this season.

“Too bad I couldn’t give up a double or even a triple. It was just home runs,” Martinez said.

“He pitched a strong game for us. He had good stuff,” Red Sox manager Jimy Williams said. “They just pitched a little better.”

Jesse Orosco (3-1) pitched 1 1-3 innings and Armando Benitez retired John Valentin for his 11th save, the second in two nights. He closed out Baltimore’s 3-2 win over Boston on Thursday.

“I don’t think they’re out of it,” Martinez said. “They can work themselves back up to the race. It’s really amazing to see a team like that not being in first or second place.”

Baltimore rookie Sidney Ponson allowed two runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings, walking one and striking out three. It matched the longest stint of his career.

Boston’s Mo Vaughn made it 2-all by leading off the seventh inning with his 22nd homer of the season, an opposite-field drive to left. It was his first home run since June 20.

The Red Sox went up 1-0 in the third when Darren Lewis singled, stole second and scored on a single by Reggie Jefferson.

Bordick tied it in the Orioles’ half with his second homer in two days and the first off Martinez since June 16. Prior to this series, Bordick hadn’t homered since May 14.

Baines singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by B.J. Surhoff to give Baltimore a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Baines left after aggravating a strained left hamstring that had limited his playing time in the past two weeks.

Davis came in and amply filled the void.

“That happens,” Williams said. “Tonight it happened to us.”