Payton hits grand slam as Orioles beat Red Sox 6-3

Boston Red Sox's Jon Lester delivers a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 14, 2008, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

BALTIMORE—Jay Payton hit his fourth career grand slam to back a gritty pitching effort by Daniel Cabrera, and the Baltimore Orioles rallied to beat the Boston Red Sox 6-3 Wednesday for a two-game sweep.

Solo homers by Jason Varitek and Mike Lowell, and a defensive gem by Manny Ramirez -- yes, Manny Ramirez -- weren't enough to prevent the Red Sox from losing their fourth straight. It was the third consecutive game in which Boston blew a three-run lead.

The Orioles trailed 3-2 before going ahead in the seventh. With two outs, Freddie Bynum was credited with an infield hit when second baseman Dustin Pedroia couldn't make a play on a grounder.

After Craig Hansen (0-2) gave up a single to Guillermo Quiroz and walked Brian Roberts to load the bases, Payton hit the second pitch from Hideki Okajima into the left-field seats.

That provided Cabrera (4-1) with a rare win over the Red Sox. The right-hander gave up three runs and 10 hits in seven innings, striking out three and walking none. He gave up a hit in every inning but the seventh.

Cabrera came in 1-9 with a 7.84 ERA in 11 career starts against Boston. He had lost seven straight to the Red Sox since 2005.

Aided by Baltimore's fourth double play, George Sherrill got three outs for his 15th save.

The defensive play of the game was made by Ramirez, a left fielder who, to put it kindly, is better known for his prowess at the plate. In the fourth inning, however, Ramirez made a difference with his glove.

With runners at first and second and one out, Kevin Millar hit a drive to left. Ramirez made an over-the-shoulder grab on the warning track, reached over the 7-foot wall to slap a Boston fan with a high-five, then turned and threw the ball to Pedroia. The relay from Pedroia to Kevin Youkilis completed the 7-4-3 double play.

Boston got a first-inning run when Jacoby Ellsbury singled, stole second and scored on a single by Pedroia. Varitek homered on a 3-2 pitch in the fifth, and Lowell connected with the count full in the sixth to make it 3-0.

Jon Lester extended his scoreless innings run against Baltimore to 12 before the Orioles broke through in the sixth on a run-scoring groundout by Payton and an RBI single by Nick Markakis, who was batting .212 with runners in scoring position.

Lester allowed two runs and five hits in six innings.

Notes:@ Boston went 4-6 on its 10-game road trip and dropped to 5-5 under Brad Mills, who served a second straight game as manager while Terry Francona attended the funeral of his mother-in-law. Mills went 5-3 as Francona's replacement in 2005. ... Baltimore failed to win two in a row all last season against Boston. ... Boston put pitcher Clay Buchholz on the 15-day disabled list and recalled outfielder Jonathan Van Every, who got a fifth-inning single in his major league debut.