By Sean McAdam
CSNNE.com Red Sox InsiderFollow @sean_mcadam
MINNEAPOLIS -- Late-inning heroics had almost become commonplace for the Red Sox, so when David Ortiz launched a game-tying homer to left-center in the top of the eighth Wednesday night, it seemed certain that another dramatic win was in the offing.
But this time, it was the other side pulling out a victory in their final at-bat.
Jim Thome and Danny Valancia cracked consecutive run-scoring doubles and Tsuyoshi Nishioka added an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to give the Minnesota Twins a 5-2 win, snapping the Red Sox four-game winning streak.
Alfredo Aceves, who relieved Jon Lester with one out in the eighth, faced four hitters and gave up three hits and an intentional walk.
Lester was saddled with his second straight loss. He walked five and two of those hitters would come around to score.
Thome's first-inning RBI single had given the Twins a 1-0 lead. Joe Mauer doubled home Ben Revere in the sixth to boost Minnesota's lead to 2-0.
Boston Red Sox
The Sox cut the margin in half in the seventh on a walk to Mike Aviles, an error by Twins second baseman Matt Tolbert and a single by Marco Scutaro, who picked up his eighth hit in his last three games.
Ortiz's homer -- his third in the last six games -- tied it for the Sox before the Twins rallied in the bottom of the inning.
Sean McAdam can be reached at smcadam@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Sean on Twitter at http:twitter.comsean_mcadam