Lopez hits a favorite target

What pitcher has been the Red Sox' biggest nemesis the last three-plus seasons?

It is neither Mike Mussina nor Roy Halladay.

Rodrigo Lopez, who handcuffed Boston on six hits and one unearned run over eight innings last night as the Orioles cruised to an 8-1 victory at Fenway Park, has nine victories over the Sox since 2002.

He has beaten them more than any other pitcher.

Earlier this year, it seemed the Sox finally had solved Lopez. He lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to Matt Clement April 21 in Baltimore, and in his first visit to Fenway April 26, he lasted only 3 1/3 innings and gave up seven hits and seven runs, though the Orioles came back to win, 11-8.

''They hit me pretty good earlier this year," said Lopez, whose career record against the Sox is 9-4, with a 3.73 ERA. In 101 1/3 innings, he has given up 102 hits and 42 earned runs.

Lopez is now 6-1 at Fenway.

''That's just one of those things, but I like pitching here," he said. ''This place is little, it's an old park, and the fans here have plenty of intensity. They feel the game; they are into the game."

In 2002, when he went 15-9 and was runner-up in the AL Rookie of the Year voting, he owned the Red Sox, going 4-0 with a 2.48 ERA against them.

For the first seven innings last night, the only Red Sox to reach base were Johnny Damon and John Olerud. Damon singled in the first, doubled in the third, and walked in the sixth. Olerud stroked a single to right in the fifth and doubled down the right field line in the seventh.

''I think the first key to Rodrigo's success was him being able to throw his breaking ball over for a strike," said Orioles catcher Sal Fasano. ''I think everything else stemmed off of that. He did a good job keeping them off balance, working both sides of the plate. It's a cliche, but it's true."

In the eighth, Lopez gave up an unearned run. Jay Payton reached on an error, moved to second when David Ortiz walked, and scored on a single by Manny Ramirez. Trot Nixon singled to load the bases, but on a 3-and-2 delivery, Lopez induced Kevin Youkilis to ground to short to end the inning.

Lopez threw 124 pitches (78 strikes), the most he has thrown this year. Before last night, his high was 111 on April 10 when he went eight innings in a 7-2 victory over the Yankees. In his previous four starts, dating back to May 8 against the Royals, Lopez had not thrown 100 pitches in a game.

''He really didn't lose a lot in the late innings," said Fasano. ''When he got around the 110-pitch mark, for the most part, he didn't hit all his spots."

Asked why he didn't take Lopez out in the eighth inning, Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli said, ''The guy had a shutout going. He was throwing the ball good. If I had made the switch, they were going to make a switch. I was going to give him a chance to get out of that."

Lopez has been a streaky pitcher. After winning his first two starts, he went seven outings without a victory until May 25 against the Mariners, a 3-2 win.

''I think now I'm more concerned to hit my spots instead of throwing hard," he said. ''I think instead of trying to hit 93 or 94 every time out, I tried to hit locations with my fastball. With my breaking ball and off-speed, I had good location, too."

That location helped improve the Orioles' location in the standings, too: They're in first place in the AL East by four games.