BOSTON -- Even Pedro Martinez couldn't help the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night.
Martinez gave up a season-high eight runs and lost for the first time since May 16, with Miguel Tejada driving in five runs to lead the Baltimore Orioles over the Red Sox 10-5.
The Orioles scored seven runs off Martinez in his only other start against them at Fenway this season, on April 15. He gave up a career-high 10 against Baltimore in Boston's 2003 home opener.
"I don't know," Martinez said when asked to explain Baltimore's recent success against him. "I guess you have to give them credit. There's no other way to explain it. Let it go, and say Pedro gave it up. That's pretty much it. Pedro got shelled."
Boston dropped eight games behind the first-place Yankees in the AL East. After Boston plays a day-night doubleheader against Baltimore on Thursday, New York comes to Fenway Park for a three-game series.
The Red Sox, coming off a 3-3 trip, had won five of their final six home games before the All-Star Game, improving their record at Fenway Park to 30-15. Boston is 21-26 on the road.
Martinez (10-4) had been 6-0 at Fenway Park this season, and the Red Sox had been 14-1 since May 19 when Martinez or Curt Schilling started. Martinez was 6-0 in his previous nine starts.
"I felt like I made some pretty good pitches," Martinez said. "They just got to it."
He coasted through the first three innings before giving up three runs each in the fourth and sixth, and two in the seventh. Martinez gave up nine hits, struck out seven and walked one in 6 2/3 innings. The runs were the most since he allowed since the career-high 10 on April 12, 2003, and his ERA climbed from 3.64 to 4.01.
"I wish I could explain it," Baltimore manager Lee Mazzilli said of his team's hitting against Martinez.
David Newhan was 4-for-5 with an inside-the-park, two-run homer, a double and two singles, his third four-hit game since the Orioles signed him June 18. Tejada had a triple and two singles for Baltimore, which stretched a winning streak to three for the first time since June 30-July 2.
"We're having a lot of fun," Tejada said. "We didn't win a lot of games in the first half, so everyone's trying to improve the final two months."
Gabe Kapler hit a three-run homer and Kevin Millar had a solo shot for the Red Sox.
Erik Bedard (4-4) allowed four runs, five hits and three walks in six innings, striking out eight.
Baltimore took a 3-0 lead in the fourth on Tejada's liner to center that Johnny Damon misplayed into a two-run triple and Rafael Palmeiro's sacrifice fly on a ball that Kapler made a diving catch on in right.
Kapler tied it in the bottom half with a three-run homer over the Green Monster.
Tejada's two-run single and Javy Lopez's sacrifice fly put the Orioles ahead 6-3 in the sixth, but Millar homered in the bottom of the inning.
Newhan homered in the seventh on a drive that bounced off the center-field wall as Damon missed an attempt for a leaping catch. Damon grabbed the ball on the warning track and threw toward third, but left fielder Manny Ramirez dived and cut off the ball in short center. Ramirez then threw to shortstop Mark Bellhorn, who relayed to catcher Jason Varitek as Newhan slid in safely.
"That was a big mistake and we paid for it," Boston manager Terry Francona said.
It was Baltimore's first inside-the-park homer since Phil Bradley's on June 8, 1990, at Memorial Stadium.
"When I got out of the box, I thought it had a chance (to clear the wall)," said Newhan, who was looking at third base coach Tom Trebelhorn. "I saw Tom waving and waving. He was waving tentatively at first, then his eyes got bigger."
Melvin Mora's RBI double and Tejada's run-scoring single made it 10-4 in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Trot Nixon had an RBI single in the bottom half.
Notes
- Boston obtained INF Ricky Gutierrez from the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named or cash. INF Pokey Reese was put on the 15-day DL with a strained ribcage, and 3B Kevin Youkilis was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket along with LHP Mark Malaska. RHP Joe Nelson was optioned to Pawtucket.
- Paul Blair had the Orioles' last inside-the-park homer at Fenway, on Sept. 3, 1973.
- Kapler has homered in three of his last five starts.
- Tejada's diving catch in shallow center saved a run in the first.
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