BALTIMORE – Kris Benson earned his first win since June 28, Melvin Mora went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs and the Baltimore Orioles cruised past the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2.

Nick Markakis and Miguel Tejada also had three hits for the Orioles, who took a 6-0 lead against Scott Downs (6-2) in the second inning. Baltimore have won three straight following a five-game skid.

Vernon Wells and Troy Glaus hit successive homers for the Blue Jays in the sixth inning, the third time this season they connected back-to-back.

Benson (10-9) gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking none as he improved to 4-1 against Toronto this year. The right-hander was 0-4 in his previous six starts overall.

Baltimore went up 3-0 in the first inning. Markakis hit a one-out single before Mora hit his 13th homer, the first since July 31. Tejada followed with a double, and after Kevin Millar received an intentional walk with two outs, Corey Patterson blooped an RBI single to right.

The Orioles used five consecutive singles to make it 6-0 in the second. Three hits loaded the bases for Mora, who singled in two runs. Tejada then chased Downs with an RBI single.

Downs was 4-1 with a 1.47 ERA since the All-Star break. Making his fifth start of the year, the left-hander yielded six runs and nine hits in 1 1-3 innings, raising his ERA from 4.03 to 4.82.

Davis Romero followed Downs and allowed one hit – a double by Markakis – over 2 2-3 innings in his major league debut.

Benson, meanwhile, allowed only three runners until the sixth, when Wells hit his 28th homer and Glaus followed with No. 32.

Singles by Mora, Tejada and Jeff Conine made it 7-2 in the seventh.

Notes: Tejada went 3-for-4 and is 25-for-67 (.373) with 14 RBIs against Toronto this season. … The Blue Jays have hit consecutive homers nine times this year. … Baltimore last won three straight from July 15-17. … The Blue Jays recalled C Jason Phillips from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday. He took the roster spot created when Toronto optioned RHP Francisco Rosario to Syracuse on Thursday. … Glaus was 0-for-14 against Benson before the home run.

AP-ES-08-18-06 2140EDT