MINNEAPOLIS -- Daniel Bard's re-introduction to the bullpen was a success. So, for a change, were the Red Sox.
Bard, on loan to the bullpen for a night, came in with Jamey Carroll on third and none out in the bottom of the eighth and stranded Carroll, offering some stability to a beleaguered Boston relief crew and setting up a second dose of heroics from Cody Ross.
Ross smacked an opposite-field homer to right with two out in the ninth to give the Red Sox a 6-5 win over the Minnesota Twins, snapping their five game losing streak.
Alfredo Aceves then locked down the bottom of the ninth to preserve the win for his third save.
Ross had hit a two-run homer in the seventh to tie the game at 5-5 after the Red Sox had squandered a 3-0 lead.
Jon Lester was tagged for four runs in the fourth and another in the fifth before finding his rhythm and retiring the final seven batters he faced.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia's second homer of the season in the second helped the Sox take a 3-0 lead.
STAR OF THE GAME: Cody Ross
With the Sox trailing 5-3 in the seventh, Ross powered a two-run homer to left, tying the game.
Then, with two out in the top of the ninth, Ross took Minnesota closer Matt Capps the other way with an opposite-field solo shot to provide the winning margin as the Sox snapped a five-game losing streak.
HONORABLE MENTION: Daniel Bard
Bard was loaned to the bullpen for the night and was called on to get out of rough jam: the potential go-ahead run on third base with just one out.
He got a hard lineout from Josh Willingham for the second out, then after an intentional walk to Justin Morneau, got an inning-ending popup from Ryan Doumit to strand the runner.
GOAT OF THE GAME: Jason Marquis
First, the Twins starting pitcher put his team behind 3-0 after allowing a run in the first and two more in the second.
Then, after his teammates battled back with five runs off Jon Lester, Marquis couldn't hold the lead, giving up the first of Ross's two homers as the Twins' lead disappeared for good.
TURNING POINT: After two poor innings in the fourth and fifth, starter Jon Lester found something in the sixth and seventh, getting four groundouts while retiring the final seven hitters he faced in succession.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Red Sox have won five games all season; four of them have been the come-from-behind variety.
QUOTE OF NOTE: "I asked him if he was trying to kill me. What else would you say in that situation?'' - Bobby Valentine, asked what he said to Alfredo Aceves in the ninth after Aceves allowed a warning-track flyout to Denard Span with a runner on base.