Charles Krupa, Associated Press Pirates starting pitcher Oliver Perez fires a pitch in the second inning against the Red Sox in a spring training game yesterday in Fort Myers, Fla. Perez had seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings in a 3-2 loss. Click photo for larger image.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Not a strikeout pitcher, huh?

Two days after Pirates manager Jim Tracy conspicuously omitted Oliver Perez's name when discussing the strikeout pitchers in his rotation, an aggressive, accurate and animated Perez fanned seven Boston Red Sox over 5 2/3 innings yesterday in a 3-2 loss at City of Palms Park.

That gave Perez 13 strikeouts in 11 2/3 spring innings, but he was adamant he was not trying to make a point.

"No, that just happened," he said. "I just wanted to make sure they don't hit them hard, to stay down in the zone."

Perez did plenty of that, pounding 52 of 82 pitches for strikes while limiting the mighty Boston lineup -- the opening-day version, no less -- to three hits while walking one and retiring his final 14 batters. He also induced five popups, including both times he faced Manny Ramirez.

When Perez took the mound for the sixth, Tracy told him he had 10 pitches left. Perez got a Mark Loretta groundout and struck out David Ortiz swinging at a split-fingered changeup before getting pulled.

It was Perez's final tuneup before the opener Monday in Milwaukee, and it drew raves from Tracy.

"I saw a guy interested in being the ace of the staff," Tracy said. "He pitched like an ace. He had the demeanor of one. I was extremely pleased to see that."

He praised Perez's pitch selection, too. Perez recorded five of his seven strikeouts with off-speed material.

"He pitched out there. And he attacked the bat."

As for Perez's much-discussed missing velocity, it was unclear how he fared.

The radar gun used for the ESPN telecast, which showed his pitches seldom reaching 88 mph, seemed to be erratic and slow, judging by Curt Schilling fastballs registering less than 90 mph. Perez had one pitch in particular -- high heat that fanned Mike Lowell -- that appeared much harder than the 87 mph displayed on the gun.

Tracy laughed when informed of that reading.

"I have no idea what his velocities were," he said. "But I can tell you there was a lot of life to his pitches as they came through the hitting zone."

"The fastball is coming," Perez said. "I'm not concerned about that right now."

The coaching staff has impressed upon Perez the need to sacrifice strikeouts for staying in the game longer, and that appears to have resonated. Perhaps the best evidence came in his reactions to outs, which were just as demonstrative for popups as for strikeouts.

"Sometimes, you have to change something," Perez said. "My job is to go as many innings as I can and give the bullpen a rest."

Marte pitching today

Reliever Damaso Marte, slowed by a stiff neck, exercised in the field yesterday in Bradenton and is scheduled to pitch today. He described his neck as "much better."

He likely will pitch in the spring finale Saturday, too, and remains on track to accompany the team to Milwaukee.

Other game highlights

The Pirates scored twice in Schilling's four innings, getting six hits. Two of those were by Joe Randa, who snapped an 0-for-11 slide and finished 2 for 3. He is batting .314.

The fuse between Schilling and Chris Duffy never was rekindled. Schilling, who beaned Duffy March 11, stayed mostly on the outside of the plate against Duffy and retired him all three times.

Perez left with a 2-1 lead, but Giovanni Carrara gave up two runs on two hits and two walks in the seventh, his only inning. His ERA is 9.00.

Buried treasure

The Pirates used what probably will be their opening-day lineup yesterday, except for the insertion of designated hitter Jody Gerut into the No. 7 slot. That included the use of Humberto Cota as Perez's catcher, something the team likely will replicate Monday.

The Minnesota Twins will start ace Johan Santana against the Pirates today.