Clay Buchholz is still looking for his first quality start of 2011. (AP)

BALTIMORE — The Red Sox and Orioles had been on divergent paths. The Sox arrived in Baltimore on a tear, winning eight of nine on the shoulders of dominant starting pitcher performances. The O’s, meanwhile, were in a 2-11 tailspin.

But something happened on the way to Baltimore. Clay Buchholz once again struggled, allowing 12 hits (the most he’s ever permitted in his career) and giving up four runs to an Orioles team that had scored three or fewer runs in seven of its prior nine games.

On a night when the Sox could muster few threats and did little with the baserunners that they had, the Orioles were able to claim a 4-1 victory that snapped Boston’s five-game winning streak.

WHAT WENT WRONG FOR THE RED SOX

–It wasn’t so much that anything was dramatically wrong with the outing of Clay Buchholz. But he continued to fall well short of the lofty standards he set last year in a dominating All-Star campaign.

Buchholz didn’t allow a ton of hard contact over his 6 1/3 innings, but the Orioles collected 12 hits against the right-hander, the most Buchholz has ever given up in a game. A year after he held opponents to a .226 average, Buchholz is being hit at a .312 clip this season. In his five starts, he has yet to turn in a single quality start, having failed to meet the stat’s standard of at least six innings pitched while permitting three or fewer earned runs. His ERA for the year now sits at 5.33.

–Adrian Gonzalez continued to offer little run production in the third spot in the order against the Orioles. He went 1-for-4 and stranded four runners, most notably when he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth, at a time when O’s starter Zach Britton appeared to be on the ropes. But Britton jumped ahead, 1-2, then got Gonzalez to dribble a 93 mph fastball to second for an inning-ending force out. Though Gonzalez lined a leadoff double to left in the eighth, he faltered in the pivotal at-bat of the game.

The Sox have just 7 RBI from their third spot in the lineup this season, tied for their fewest from any spot in the lineup. Gonzalez’ 17 games without a homer (16 of which have come from the third spot in the order) represent the sixth longest drought of his career.

–Too much of Orioles starter Zach Britton, whose nasty low-90s sinker had the Sox chasing pitches below the strike zone for much of the night. The Sox managed few baserunners in his six innings, collecting just five hits (four singles and a double) and walking twice. Boston did little with its few chances against him, as Gonzalez left the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth and Carl Crawford flew out to deep center with two on and two outs in the sixth.

WHAT WENT RIGHT FOR THE RED SOX

–Dustin Pedroia continued to play with an abandon and impact that would suggest his broken left foot of last season is firmly in the past. After the Sox had been no-hit through three innings, Pedroia took it upon himself to put his team on the board against Orioles starter Zach Britton in the fourth. He singled up the middle, advanced to second on an Adrian Gonzalez grounder, stole third with one out and then scored on a Kevin Youkilis sac fly, winning a challenge against the strong right arm of Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones.

Pedroia also helped to stifle an Orioles rally in the bottom of the fourth, making a terrific diving stop of a Nick Markakis grounder to his left.

–Jacoby Ellsbury sustained a recent run of modest success. He rifled a bullet that was caught by O’s third baseman Mark Reynolds to end the third, then ripped a two-out double to right field on a Zach Britton fastball, an impressive sign against the talented lefty. He later lined out to first baseman Derek Lee when facing reliever Jim Johnson.

On a day when he went just 1-for-4, the center fielder continued to make solid contact from the leadoff spot. Ellsbury now has hit .318 (7-for-22) over his recent five-game hitting streak. That said, it is worth noting that he saw just nine pitches in his four at-bats.

–David Ortiz continued to put together good at-bats against left-handers, going 1-for-2 with a walk against Britton. Ortiz is now hitting .360 (9-for-25) against southpaws this year.