BALTIMORE (AP) – Eli Marrero and Melvin Mora hit solo home runs, and Sammy Sosa added his first RBI since June 19, leading the Baltimore Orioles past David Wells and the Boston Red Sox 3-1 Thursday night in a game called after six innings because of rain.

Daniel Cabrera (7-7) pitched five rocky innings for the Orioles, whose third win in 12 games pulled them within three games of first-place Boston in the AL East.

A steady rain shower pelted the sellout crowd of 47,389 throughout much of the game, and umpires finally stopped play after the sixth inning. After a delay of an hour, the game was called.

Wells (6-5) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings. Alex Cora played shortstop and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in his Boston debut, in place of injured leadoff hitter Johnny Damon, who has a sore shoulder. Sosa’s run-scoring single in the sixth ended a run of 47 at-bats without an RBI. Cabrera allowed one run and three hits. He walked five, hit a batter and threw two wild pitches.

Tim Byrdak worked the sixth.

In the Boston fifth, David Ortiz hit a two-out single and took third on a double by Trot Nixon before Cabrera walked Kevin Millar to load the bases. Cabrera then went to 2-0 on John Olerud before Baltimore catcher Sal Fasano rifled a throw to shortstop Miguel Tejada, who applied the tag on Nixon for a pickoff that ended the threat.

In the sixth, Tejada doubled and scored when Sosa bounced a two-out single up the middle. Wells lifted his arms in disgust, then retired Jay Gibbons before the umpires called for the tarp.

Notes: The Orioles activated outfielder B.J. Surhoff from the 15-day disabled list and optioned OF David Newhan to Triple-A Ottawa. … Red Sox closer Keith Foulke had arthroscopic surgery to repair damaged cartilage on his left knee on Thursday. … Boston designated OF Jay Payton for assignment, activated OF Adam Stern from the 60-day DL and sent LHP Lenny DiNardo to Triple-A Pawtucket.

AP-ES-07-07-05 2217EDT


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