Wells Helps Red Sox Halt 5-Game Skid

Friday, August 11th 2006, 9:48 pm

By: News On 6

BOSTON (AP) _ David Wells benefited from a seven-run third inning to earn his first victory of an injury-riddled season, pitching seven strong innings Friday night to help the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-2 and snap Boston's five-game losing streak.

Wells (1-2) made his third start since May 26, when he went on the disabled list for the third time this season after taking a line drive off his right knee. He allowed one run and nine hits before leaving to a standing ovation when Melvin Mora popped up to end the seventh.

Rookie lefty Adam Loewen (2-4) was hoping to build on the two longest outings of his career, lasting six innings against the Mariners on July 31 before holding the Yankees to one hit in 6 1-3 scoreless innings last Saturday. But he got just seven outs, allowing six runs and six hits with two walks, striking out three.

Mike Lowell recovered from a frightful first-inning beaning to make an into-the-stands catch in the third and then singled in a run, stole a base and scored in the bottom half as the Red Sox took an 8-0 lead and chased Loewen. The seven runs matched Boston's biggest inning of the season.

The Red Sox lost five in a row to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Kansas City Royals _ a pair of last-place teams _ but returned home to face the Orioles, whom they have beaten 14 of the last 15 times. The slump dropped them three games behind New York in the AL East.

But Manny Ramirez singled in the first inning, scoring Coco Crisp and extending his hitting streak to 26 games _ the longest active streak in the majors and the seventh-longest in Red Sox history. He added another RBI single in the third, when Boston sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven runs on five singles, three walks and Alex Gonzalez's two-run triple.

Mark Loretta had three of Boston's 13 hits and a pair of RBIs.

Lowell retired Nick Markakis for the first out in the third, diving over the short wall along the third-base line into the stands and holding up his glove to show the umpire the ball.

David Ortiz added some comic relief in the sixth when he doubled to left-center and then, while standing on second, got spun around trying to avoid the throw back to the infield. Ortiz then broke into a pose similar to the one-legged crane from the film, The Karate Kid, cracking up the Orioles' infield.

Wells had a shutout until Kevin Millar and Brian Roberts doubled in the seventh to make it 8-1. Corey Patterson led off the ninth with a homer for Baltimore that made it 9-2.

Notes: Orioles RHP Rodrigo Lopez made his first relief appearance since June 22, 2004. ... Wells struck out four and walked one. ... Boston RHP Keith Foulke, who was expected to be activated from the disabled list, felt stiffness in his back and did not come off the DL. ... Roberts went 3-for-5. ... Ortiz received a shipment of 41 lobsters as a gift from Maine Gov. John Baldacci to celebrate the Red Sox slugger's 41 homers. Ortiz had said in an interview that he loves seafood but has never been to Maine. ... Baltimore is 12-28 in games started by lefty opponents.