The story of the Red Sox’ 4-3 win over the Orioles revolved around David Ortiz’ home run, Jon Lester’s solid performance, and the bullpen finally giving up some runs after 21 scoreless. But there was some more that might have gone under the radar:

- Before we get to the “I can’t believe Adrian Beltre walked with the bases loaded to win the game” talk, understand that Beltre had a history with the Baltimore reliever that issued the free pass, Jim Johnson.

Last season (June 3, to be exact), Beltre faced off with Johnson in the ninth inning with the bases also loaded and the game also tied. Beltre worked the count to 3-2, but didn’t get that final fourth ball, instead winning the game for his Mariners with a single to left field.

Beltre did touch on his penchant to swing, swing, and then swing again, even issuing the classic “You can’t walk your way off the island” line so many baseball players coming from the Dominican Republic  live by. Beltre has swung at the first pitch 31 percent of the time this season, and had drawn just one walk all year up until notching a pair Friday. In fact, he has seen a 3-0 count just twice this season.

To show what an aberration the moment was, Beltre actually said he was taking on 3-and-1, a count he has also seen only twice this season. But before you think the free-swinger has never experienced walking with the bases loaded understand that he has actually walked 14 times in the situation, with his last run-producing free pass coming last year.

“It just doesn’t work for me,” said Beltre of being to patient. “It’s doable for me, but it just doesn’t work for me to go to home plate to walk. It’s not easy to pick up a ball, see what it is, react, and no that it’s going to be ball. It’s not easy. I don’t have that talent to do that.”

Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan was impressed, if not a bit surprised

“I knew it all the way, never a doubt. That’s how we draw it up,” Magadan joked regarding Beltre’s walk. “I guess he had a 300 percent improvement in his walk total.

“I think he went in with a good plan, and with him that’s everything. We talked right before the at-bat and he went in with a really good plan. When he does that he has a chance to get his pitch to hit. When you’re trying to cover the whole spectrum of pitches from the get-go it’s going to be tough to get your pitch to hit. You don’t want (the strike zone) to be a picture window, you want it to be a shoe box. We want to shrink it down a little bit.”

- A lot of folks might raise some eyebrows regarding Jonathan Papelbon’s shaky outing, in which he allowed a pair of walks and one hit in one inning of work (getting somewhat saved by Bill Hall’s play in left on Nick Markakis’ hit off the left field wall, throwing out the Baltimore baserunner at second to lead off the ninth).

But for Papelbon, who still has allowed runs in just one of his eight games (giving up a pair to the Yankees in his second appearance of the season), Friday night presented some of his biggest obstacles of the year.

“It was a grind for me, from top to bottom,” Papelbon said. “Getting ready in the eighth, sitting down, getting back up in the ninth, going through 20 pitching changes. The grind with getting up and down, waiting, following the game, and along with that there was the mental grind. Tonight tested every last bit of me. I just had to grind it out.”

- Before this year, the only position Hall had played at Fenway Park was third base. He, like so many others, said before coming to Fenway and just watching games on television. he thought the left field wall was much bigger.

- Dustin Pedroia was limping after the game, with a wrap on his left ankle. His response when asked about the ailment? Predictable. “You can’t hurt steel.”

- Jacoby Ellsbury took a few swings Friday. But before you get too excited about the outfielder’s return understand that he executed the swings at what he called “one percent” effort. He said he can still feel his rib injury when he breathes.