BOSTON -- Make no mistake about this, Red Sox closer Keith Foulke was rested and ready to give his team two innings and a save on a night the Orioles were demonstrating why they have an offense that is as dangerous as any in the Major Leagues. However, that plan went sour quickly, as the Sox and Foulke simply had no answer to those booming Baltimore bats in a disheartening 11-8 loss on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.

The Orioles rallied back from deficits of 5-1 and 8-3 and erupted for 20 hits on the night, none bigger than the four that came off Foulke in the top of the eighth.

Foulke, who hadn't pitched since saving last Thursday's 1-0 win at Baltimore, came on with the Sox clinging to an 8-7 lead in the eighth. Two batters later, the lead was gone. Melvin Mora greeted Foulke with a double to center and Miguel Tejada followed by crushing a two-run homer to off the Sports Authority sign beyond the Monster seats in left.

"He's a good hitter, and obviously it didn't fool him a whole lot," Foulke said of the changeup that Tejada smashed.

For good measure, Javy Lopez bashed a one-out two-run homer over the Monster to give the Orioles a three-run lead.

"I really don't know what to say about what's going on," said Foulke, who is 1-3 with a 7.20 ERA. "I'm definitely not happy about it and it makes me want to pull my hair out. It's going to be one of those things where I need to get in more ballgames and work it out. It's just a tough road right now."

After having a solid first season in Boston, capped by that magical October, Foulke has had a rough go of it thus far in 2005. Foulke has allowed at least one run in four of his first nine outings, but this performance (one inning, four hits and four runs) was certainly his most harrowing.

"He's just going through it a little bit right now and trying to still find himself," said Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek. "I think he'll be fine. We just need to get him out there and get him a little confidence. Get him through some outings. Have him feel good about himself and his stuff. I don't think he's at his most comfortable point right now, but I think he'll be there."

The Red Sox will keep going to Foulke with the game on the line, figuring it's only a matter of time before he reverts back to being one of the elite relievers in the game.

"He wasn't really executing his pitches," said Sox manager Terry Francona. "When he does, he gets people out. We're frustrated [along] with him. He's our guy. He gave up a pretty significant lead tonight. We're hanging on by a thread. There wasn't a lot of room for errors. We asked a lot of Foulke to come in in the eighth. It's a heartache to lose the way we did. He is our guy and he's going to be our guy."

Matt Clement  /   P
		Born: 08/12/74 Height: 6'3" Weight: 210 lbs Bats: R / Throws: R More info: Player page Stats | Splits Gallery Team Site | Shop

Long before Foulke's entrance, this was not a pretty night for the Sox. The Sox thought they had given themselves breathing room in the bottom of the fourth, when Manny Ramirez lined a three-run homer just over the Monster to make it 8-3.

But right-hander Matt Clement, seemingly in prime position to get a win, got in more trouble in the fifth, giving up RBI singles to Sosa and Luis Matos. With two on and two outs and the Sox clinging to an 8-5 lead, Clement was removed from the game, depriving him a chance to qualify for the victory. Clement didn't seem pleased about the development, as he avoided eye contact with Francona upon giving him the ball.

After the game, Clement placed the blame on himself and said if anything, it was just the competitor in him that was frustrated at the sight of Francona's hook.

"Obviously, I don't have a heartbeat, I'm not a competitor if I don't want to stay out there and finish that inning," said Clement. "It wasn't like I just mowed a couple people down and I should have stayed in. It's frustrating in a game like this to have to leave. But he's the manager and he's going to make the decisions. Like I said ... all the evidence showed that I shouldn't have been out there."

Indeed, the evidence showed Clement being tagged for a career-high 12 hits and also seven earned runs. The two runners who were standing on base when Clement left both scored when Alan Embree surrendered a two-run double to Larry Bigbie, slicing the Boston lead to 8-7.

It was the polar opposite of Clement's performance last week against the Orioles, when he fired eight scoreless innings in a win at Camden Yards.

"He just didn't locate," said Francona. "And it's a good lineup. He'll do better."

Manny Ramirez  /   LF
		Born: 05/30/72 Height: 6'0" Weight: 215 lbs Bats: R / Throws: R More info: Player page Stats | Splits Gallery Team Site | Shop

The Boston lineup looked primed to engage in a full-fledged slugfest with the Orioles early.

Rodrigo Lopez, who had been such a nemesis to the Sox the last couple of years, was no mystery this time. The Sox put a five-spot on the board in the bottom of the second. But after that three-run fourth, the Boston bats were silenced over the final five innings.

"Eight unanswered runs? We stopped hitting and they didn't," said Sox leadoff man Johnny Damon. "They're a team playing with a lot of confidence right now, a team that's on a roll."

The 11-10 Sox can't say that about themselves at the moment. Perhaps a key to getting back on a roll is for Foulke to get into a groove.

"I need to start pitching in more ball games," said Foulke. "That's the only way I'm going to be able to work it out. Every time I seem to get in a few ball games, things seem to go where I don't pitch for a couple of days. I feel like I've got to get more work I guess."