Ortiz’s 3-run homer and Lester’s solid pitching carry Red Sox to 7-2 win over Orioles

Ortiz’s homer sparks Red Sox’s win over Orioles

BOSTON — David Ortiz jump-started Boston’s sluggish offense with a three-run homer, Adam LaRoche added a two-run shot in his Red Sox debut and Jon Lester pitched into the eighth inning in a 7-2 win over the struggling Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night.

Jacoby Ellsbury added two RBI doubles for the Red Sox, who won their second straight after a season-high five-game losing streak and moved to 1½ games behind the AL East-leading New York Yankees.

Baltimore, which lost for the 14th time in 18 games, dropped its 11th straight in Fenway Park dating to last July. The Orioles fell to 1-16 in road games within the division this season.

Lester (9-7) was mostly in control, giving up two runs and eight hits in 7 1-3 innings. He struck out nine and walked two in raising his record to 9-0 in 11 career starts against Baltimore. He allowed both of the runs in the fourth on RBI singles by Matt Wieters and Cesar Izturis.

LaRoche, acquired from Pittsburgh on Wednesday for two minor leaguers, went 1 for 4. His opposite-field homer went into the first row of Green Monster seats off Mark Hendrickson in the eighth.

Unlike the previous six games when the Red Sox struggled to score, they jumped on Jeremy Guthrie (7-9) for three runs in the first on Ortiz’s 13th homer. Dustin Pedroia walked and Jason Bay had a two-out single before Ortiz’s high drive carried into the center-field seats.

The Red Sox were held to four or fewer runs in all of their previous seven games since the All-Star break.

Daniel Bard got the final two outs in the eighth, and Ramon Ramirez pitched the ninth.

Guthrie, coming off one his best starts of the season when he held the Chicago White Sox to three hits and two runs in a 10-2 win last Saturday, gave up his AL-leading 23rd homer.

Ellsbury’s first RBI double made it 4-0 in the second after Jason Varitek had a ground-rule double. He also doubled home Nick Green in the fourth.

NOTES: The three-run first was Boston’s most in an inning since the last game before the break. … Red Sox 1B/3B Kevin Youkilis was rested so 1B LaRoche could start. “(Youkilis) is a little beat up. I just thought it was a good night to go ahead and do it,” manager Terry Francona said before the game. “This isn’t going to be like a rotation.” Youkilis may have been a bit surprised by the time off after the team had an off-day Thursday. “We haven’t discussed it much. They told me today’s my off day,” he said. … Baltimore’s sidelined right-handed pitchers Dennis Sarfate (circulatory condition) and Chris Ray (biceps tendinitis) each threw a scoreless inning in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Norfolk Friday. … Plate umpire Paul Neuert had his mask knocked off by a ninth-inning foul tip.