Orioles 10, Red Sox 4, 1st game

Orioles 10, Red Sox 4, 1st game
BOSTON (AP) -- Tony Batista's two-run single highlighted a seven-run seventh inning as the Baltimore Orioles snapped Boston's four-game winning streak with a 10-4 victory in the first game of a doubleheader Friday.
After Brook Fordyce singled and Brian Roberts walked to lead off the seventh, Luis Matos hit a liner to left-center that tied the game at 4 and chased Boston starter Derek Lowe (11-6). Scott Williamson struck out Jeff Conine and intentionally walked Jay Gibbons before allowing Batista's two-run single.
The Orioles broke the game open later in the inning on RBI singles by Jack Cust and Deivi Cruz and a two-run triple by Larry Bigbie.
The Red Sox had taken a 4-3 lead an inning earlier on back-to-back homers by Trot Nixon and Doug Mirabelli. Nixon hit a two-run home run, his 22nd of the season, and Mirabelli followed with a solo shot.
Rick Helling (7-8) picked up the win, allowing four runs on nine hits while walking one and striking out five in six innings.
Nomar Garciaparra's solo home run in the first inning gave the Red Sox a 1-0 advantage. It's the first time in Garciaparra's career he has homered in four consecutive games.
The Orioles took the lead in the second on a pair of RBI groundouts from Gibbons and Batista and made it 3-1 with an unearned run off Lowe in the fifth as Bigbie reached on an error by Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar and scored on Roberts' single.
The Red Sox threatened in the fifth, loading the bases with one out. However, Manny Ramirez popped out to second and Matos made a nice running catch at the wall in deep center to rob David Ortiz of extra bases.
Lowe allowed five runs for the second straight start, both against the Orioles. He gave up eight hits, walked one and struck out three.
Notes: Nixon's homer was the 100th of his career. He is the 24th player in history to hit 100 home runs in a Red Sox uniform. ... Ortiz' single in the fourth inning snapped a string of 12 consecutive extra-base hits. He had five doubles, two triples and five home runs since his last single, which was on July 26. ... The game was made up from the home opener, which was rained out on April 11. The game was then scheduled for the following day and was also rained out. ... Red Sox reliever Ramiro Mendoza was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of tendinitis in his right knee and left-hander Casey Fossum was recalled.