Blue Jays Have Enforcer in Wells

In three starts, Toronto’s David Wells has recorded three victories. Saturday, he won his teammates’ respect.

Wells improved to 3-0 with the Blue Jays’ 7-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. He gave up six hits and two runs and struck out six in 6 2/3 innings.

Wells also hit Albert Belle with a pitch in apparent retaliation for an earlier brushback.

Once Doug Linton (0-1) threw a pitch behind Carlos Delgado after Shawn Green’s home run in the third inning, Wells wasted no time in getting even: He hit Belle in the leg to start the fourth.

“I have a lot of respect for Albert,” Wells said. “But Carlos is our big RBI man. I had to protect him.”

Delgado appreciated Wells’ action.

“I’m kind of glad he did it,” Delgado said. “He was saying, ‘If you want to play hardball, we can play hardball too.’ ”

Wells has a 3.55 ERA, along with 21 strikeouts and only four walks this season. The 35-year-old left-hander, acquired in February from the New York Yankees in the trade for Roger Clemens, slowed an Oriole lineup that had been averaging 10 hits and more than five runs.

Wells’ next start is scheduled for Friday night at Yankee Stadium. Last year, he was 18-4 for New York in the regular season and won three more times in the postseason for the World Series champions.

Despite a $78-million payroll, the second highest in the major leagues, the Orioles are 3-8 and off to their worst start since 1988, when they lost a major league-record 21 games to start the season.

Shawn Green gave Toronto a 3-0 lead in the third with a solo home run. Linton threw his next pitch close to Delgado, who leaned in to avoid it--and the ball struck umpire Chuck Meriwether in the kneecap.

AROUND THE LEAGUE / Beach Is No Place for McIlvaine

Joe McIlvaine, former New York Met general manager and now an assistant general manager for the Minnesota Twins, was charged with a misdemeanor for nude sunbathing on a public beach at Jensen Beach, Fla.

McIlvaine, 51, was arrested last Monday after Martin County sheriff’s deputies answered several calls complaining about a man lying on his stomach on the beach without any clothes on. “It looks like he had to have known better,” said Janell Atlas, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office. “He knew he wasn’t supposed to be naked.’ McIlvaine was released on $1,000 bail.

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To make room for Andy Pettitte, the New York Yankees placed third baseman Scott Brosius on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right ankle.