David Wells is hammered around for seven runs on 10 hits in only four-plus innings, halting the Red Sox' five-game winning streak.

01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, April 13, 2006

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Solid defense, on most nights, can bail a pitcher out of some difficult jams.

But no matter how many highlight-reel plays the Boston Red Sox made behind starter David Wells last night, it couldn't help the pitcher's cause.

Wells made his first appearance of the season after beginning the season on the disabled list, recovering from off-season surgery on his right knee. The veteran left-hander made one five-inning rehab start for the Pawtucket Red Sox last Friday (seven runs on six hits) and wasn't very sharp again last night.

He surrendered seven runs on 10 hits, including three home runs in only four-plus innings, as the Toronto Blue Jays pounded the Sox, 8-4.

"It was batting practice tonight," he said. "I have to be better. I made some good pitches; the defense saved it. It could have been worse. The defense played a big part while I was out there, but I wasn't sharp. I left all the pitches down the middle of the plate. When you hit a team like Toronto, they will capitalize."

During the offseason, Wells said he wanted to be traded, preferably to a team closer to his San Diego home. He said he was dissatisfied with the environment in Boston and wanted out. That tone changed during spring training when he informed general manager Theo Epstein on March 5 that he wanted to stay.

"I wanted to pitch at home, yeah," said Wells. "Did I demand a trade? No. I asked to play at home with this being my last year. Obviously, (Boston) can't understand that, but that's fine. They are entitled to what they want to think or say. I'm here and I'm glad I'm here."

Wells said his surgically repaired knee wasn't a problem; he just wasn't sharp last night.

"I didn't have it," he said. "Everything I threw today, they put a good swing on it. I didn't expect to come out of the gate like this, but we all have bad nights. I started off with a bad night."

The first inning was the toughest for Wells. Just three pitches into the game, Wells was down 2-0. He surrendered a leadoff single to Reed Johnson before Alexis Rios crushed 1-0 offering over the Green Monster. Wells got the next two batters to ground out before Bengie Molina launched a 0-1 pitch out of the park for a 3-0 Toronto lead.

The second inning wasn't much better for Wells. He allowed a leadoff single to Aaron Hill, but the defense came up big with a 6-4-3 double play. Those two outs, however, couldn't stop the bleeding. Wells followed with a walk, RBI-double, RBI-single and a single before getting out of the inning with a strikeout as Toronto jumped out to a 5-0 lead.

Even though Wells retired the side in order in the third and fourth inning, it was the defense behind him that proved crucial.

"We have a very good defense," said manager Terry Francona. "Again, we've said it a few times, we feel like we're one pitch away from getting out of any inning, and we're displaying that. It will help us win a lot of games."

The Sox finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Dustan Mohr, just recalled from Pawtucket due to the Coco Crisp injury, crushed the first offering he saw off Toronto starter Gustavo Chacin, and launched it over the Monster seats for a two-run homer.

In the top of the fifth, however, Wells surrendered his third round-tripper of the game, to Vernon Wells, and after Troy Glaus singled to center, Wells was lifted.

Boston used solo home runs by David Ortiz in the fifth and Wily Mo Pena in the sixth to cut its deficit to three runs, 7-4. The Jays added a run in the eighth inning on Rios' sacrifice fly.

Of the 36,378 fans in attendance, most turned into boo-birds early in Wells outing. When asked about the negative vibe, the Sox pitcher said: "They weren't saying Boomer? I thought that's what they were really saying. I really did.

"No, they were quick to do it and that's fine. It's not like it was a great outing."

jmcdonal@projo.com / (401) 277-7340