NEW YORK, 2 June 2004 — Melvin Mora drove in four runs with a homer and two singles to help the Baltimore Orioles to a 13-4 pasting of the host Boston Red Sox in the American League Monday.

BJ Surhoff also had a big part to play for the O’s, collecting four of his team’s 16 hits, including a solo home run.

It has been an explosive week for the O’s, who have racked up at least 13 hits in six straight games.

Surhoff’s blast, served up by Sox starter Derek Lowe (4-5), barely cleared the right-field fence, measured at only 310 feet.

Lowe, a 21-game winner two seasons ago, again struggled.

He was charged with seven runs in five-plus innings and is now 1-4 in his last five decisions. Lowe failed to strike out a batter while walking four. It was a different story for Baltimore starter Rodrigo Lopez (4-2), who allowed one run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings. The former reliever, promoted from the bullpen a week and a half ago, struck out seven batters and walked two. Boston (31-20) fell to second spot in the AL East. The New York Yankees (30-19) did not play Monday.

In Detroit, Eric Munson and Carlos Guillen each belted two homers and Omar Infante added another as the Tigers crushed the Kansas City Royals 8-4.

Guillen’s second homer was an inside-the-park job, the ball eluding center fielder Carlos Beltran. Four of the five blasts were solo shots. It was Detroit’s first five-homer game at Comerica Park.

Gary Knotts (2-1) worked 6 1/3 innings, surrendering seven hits and three runs.

In Minneapolis, 40-year-old Fred McGriff blasted his 492nd career homer, a two-run shot, to help the Tampa Bay Devil Rays down the Minnesota Twins 7-3.

McGriff, who spent time in the minor leagues before joining the D-Rays, is now one homer shy of Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig on the all-time list. Tino Martinez also went deep for Tampa and scored twice. Rob Bell (1-2) notched the victory, scattering three hits over seven innings.

In Seattle, Randy Winn drove in three runs with a triple, single and sacrifice fly to carry the underachieving Mariners to a 6-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Jamie Moyer (4-2) worked into the eighth inning, allowing seven hits, two of them homers, to notch the victory. Vernon Wells and Frank Menechino took Moyer deep to make a game of it. Seattle is 19-31 on the season.