Blue Jays 7, Orioles 4TORONTO -- It took a perfect game and a superb season in 1998 for David Wells to prove he was one of the best left-handers in baseball.
It took him only one pitch Saturday to earn the respect of his new Toronto teammates.
Wells won his third straight start, and the Blue Jays extended their winning streak to four with a 7-4 victory over the slumping Baltimore Orioles.
Wells (3-0) gave up two runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings. He struck out six and walked three, and also hit Albert Belle with a pitch in apparent retaliation for an earlier brushback.
After Doug Linton (0-1) threw a pitch behind Carlos Delgado following Shawn Green's home run in the third inning, Wells wasted no time in getting even: He hit Belle in the leg to start the fourth.
"I have a lot of respect for Albert," Wells said. "But Carlos is our big RBI man. I had to protect him."
Delgado appreciated Wells' action.
"I'm kind of glad he did it," Delgado said. "He was saying, 'If you want to play hardball, we can play hardball, too."'
Wells has a 3.55 ERA, along with 21 strikeouts and only four walks this season. The 35-year-old lefty, acquired in February from the New York Yankees in the trade for Roger Clemens, slowed an Orioles lineup that had been averaging 10 hits and more than five runs per game.
Wells' next start, by the way, is scheduled for Friday night at Yankee Stadium. Last year, he was 18-4 for New York in the regular season, and won three more times in the postseason for the World Series champions.
Despite a $78 million payroll, the second-highest in the major leagues, the Orioles are 3-8 and off to their worst start since 1988, when they lost a major league-record 21 games to start the season.
"I hope the light at the end of the tunnel shows up pretty quick," Orioles designated hitter Will Clark said.
Cal Ripken went 1-for-5 with an RBI single after sitting out Friday's game.
RED SOX 8, DEVIL RAYS 5: At Boston, the Red Sox won but were more concerned with Tom Gordon -- trying to extend his major league record of 46 straight save conversions -- who strained his right elbow in the ninth inning.
TIGERS 3, YANKEES 1: At Detroit, Andy Pettitte pitched six shutout innings against Detroit in his first start of the year, but a bullpen breakdown sent the Yankees to their third straight loss.
WHITE SOX 6, ROYALS 5: At Kansas City, Mo., Magglio Ordonez hit a two-run single and another run scored on rookie center fielder Carlos Beltran's error as Chicago, down to its last out in the ninth inning, rallied past Kansas City.
ATHLETICS 11, RANGERS 3: At Oakland, Calif., Jason Giambi homered twice and drove in four runs, and three A's teammates had two RBIs apiece.
INDIANS 5, TWINS 1, FIRST GAME; TWINS 13, INDIANS 8 (11), SECOND GAME: At Cleveland, Matt Lawton drove in a career-high six runs with a grand slam and two-run double as Minnesota snapped Cleveland's eight-game winning streak and gained a split of their day-night doubleheader.
Cleveland won the first game behind four RBIs by Manny Ramirez and the pitching of Charles Nagy (2-0).
NATIONAL LEAGUE
ROCKIES 5, BRAVES 4: At Denver, Darryl Hamilton's RBI single off John Rocker capped a three-run ninth inning as Colorado rallied to beat Atlanta.
BREWERS 5, CUBS 4: At Milwaukee, Geoff Jenkins' two-out, RBI double capped a five-run comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning for the Brewers.
PIRATES 7, REDS 6 (10): At Cincinnati, Warren Morris hit an RBI single in the 10th inning to lift Pittsburgh.
METS 3, EXPOS 2: At New York, Bobby Jones survived a shaky first three innings to win his third straight start, and Bobby Bonilla drove in the go-ahead run with an infield grounder.
GIANTS 8, DIAMONDBACKS 5: At Phoenix, Ellis Burks hit a three-run double, and Rich Aurilia and Scott Servais hit two-run homers for San Francisco.
CARDINALS 8, ASTROS 5: At Houston, St. Louis' Jose Jimenez pitched shutout ball into the eighth and fellow rookie J.D. Drew hit a three-run triple.
PHILLIES 2, MARLINS 1: At Philadelphia, Doug Glanville singled home the winning run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning.