Ramirez hits No. 501, leads Red Sox past Orioles

Boston Red Sox Manny Ramirez, right, slaps hands with third base coach DeMarlo Hale, left, after Ramirez hit his 500th career home run druing the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, May 31, 2008 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. (AP Photo/ Steve Ruark)

BALTIMORE—Manny Ramirez hit his 501st home run, Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew also connected, and the Boston Red Sox continued their hitting revival at the expense of the Baltimore Orioles in a 9-4 victory Sunday.

After becoming the 24th major leaguer to hit No. 500, Ramirez said Saturday night, "The next goal is 501." He took care of that item of business in his third at-bat, driving a 1-0 pitch from Brian Burres into the right-field seats to put Boston up 6-3 in the fourth inning.

Lowell homered two pitches later, and the Red Sox were on their way to making it three straight wins over the skidding Orioles. Boston on Monday will seek its first four-game sweep in Baltimore since 2002.

Playing designated hitter for injured David Ortiz (sprained wrist), Ramirez went 3-for-5, drove in three runs and scored twice. He has homered in consecutive games after hitting only three in 34 games during his quest for 500.

Drew, who missed two straight starts because of vertigo, had two hits and three RBIs. Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits and a stolen base, his seventh steal in the series.

The Red Sox came to town with five losses in six games, thanks mainly to an offense that produced only one run in 19 innings. But Boston has scored 20 runs in the series and had a season-high tying 16 hits Sunday, including 12 through the first four innings.

Red Sox starter Bartolo Colon (3-0) allowed four runs and seven hits in six-plus innings. He has won three straight starts since his contract was purchased from Triple-A Pawtucket, where he made three rehab starts.

Luke Scott homered for the Orioles, who have lost four straight and nine of 11.

Burres (4-5) gave up seven runs and 12 hits in four innings. Over his last two starts, the left-hander has surrendered 15 runs and 22 hits.

Steve Trachsel went the rest of the way for the Orioles, allowing two runs and four hits in the second relief appearance of his career -- the first since Sept. 16, 1995. He has 417 starts, including eight this season, but appears to have lost his spot in the rotation.

Lowell doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Drew to put Boston up 1-0 in the second. Adam Jones hit an RBI single in the bottom half.

The Red Sox sent eight players to the plate in the third and took a 4-1 lead. Ramirez doubled in a run, Lowell hit a sacrifice fly and Drew added an RBI single.

After Ramirez and Lowell homered in the fourth, Scott hit a two-run drive in the bottom half to make it 7-3.

Any chance Baltimore had at a comeback was thwarted by Boston's solid defensive play. In the sixth inning, second baseman Dustin Pedroia dived to his right to snare a grounder before getting to one knee and throwing out Jay Payton. In the seventh, Drew made a diving catch of Scott's liner to right with two on and two out.

Notes:@ The last five of Ramirez's 11 homers have come on the road. ... Boston manager Terry Francona missed the game to attend his daughter's graduation. ... Ortiz is day-to-day. ... Baltimore is 1-8 against Boston when Burres pitches, but he's 1-1 lifetime against the Red Sox. ... Trachsel's five-inning stint gave him 2,500 for his career.