There’s little evidence to support that notion. The Red Sox are 49-47 at Fenway since the start of last season, making it the opposition’s most beloved ballpark. The Sox have allowed 75 runs in their last 10 games at home.

This Stinko de Mayo party was over in the third inning when the Orioles scored seven runs on seven hits against Aaron Cook in his Red Sox debut.

After retiring the first five batters, Cook allowed two hits, then was injured in a freak play at the plate in the second inning.

With Chris Davis on third, Cook threw a sinker that catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia was late trying to smother with his glove. The ball got past him and Davis broke for the plate.

Cook tried to block the plate, sliding to a stop on his knees. One of Davis’s spikes caught Cook in the left knee, opening a deep cut.

“I was trying to stop in front of the plate, and he made a perfect slide into the plate and my momentum took me into him,’’ Cook said.

Cook went up into the clubhouse to get patched up and returned to the mound to get the final out of the inning. His perseverance in the face of adversity seemed to be just what the Red Sox needed.

Only it didn’t work out that way. Cook got one out in the third before putting seven consecutive Orioles on base. Nick Markakis had an RBI single, Adam Jones a two-run home run, and Wilson Betemit an RBI single.

When Cook finally was taken out of the game, his leg having gone numb, reliever Clayton Mortensen threw a fastball that Mark Reynolds drove over the wall for a three-run homer.

Cook later needed 11 stitches to close the gash in his leg and was walking with a pronounced limp. But he did not regret staying in the game.

“It was my decision,’’ he said. “I wanted to go out there and try to eat up some more innings. I know our bullpen’s been kind of taxed. At the end of the day, I don’t know if it was the best decision.’’