DETROIT — David Ortiz hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning, and the Boston Red Sox rallied for a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, snapping their five-game losing streak.
The Red Sox left men on base all night long, including when Ortiz was retired on a deep flyball to center in the seventh. But there was no doubt about his homer off Joba Chamberlain (1-3), which carried about halfway up the section of seats beyond the wall in right.
Chamberlain was trying to protect a one-run lead instead of struggling closer Joe Nathan, who had pitched the previous two nights.
John Lackey (7-4) pitched eight sharp innings for Boston, and Koji Uehara tossed a perfect ninth for his 12th save in 12 chances.
Detroit's Miguel Cabrera left in the sixth with left hamstring tightness.
Brock Holt had four hits for Boston, including a leadoff single in the ninth with the Red Sox down 3-2. After a one-out walk by Dustin Pedroia, Ortiz connected for his 14th homer of the season.
Lackey allowed two earned runs and seven hits, and it looked as if he would have to settle for a complete-game loss for the second consecutive game before Ortiz put the Red Sox ahead.
Mike Napoli also homered for Boston in his first game back from a finger injury.
Boston's previous seven series all ended in sweeps, with the Red Sox on the losing end of four. They avoided that fate Sunday despite leaving 10 men on base.
With the score tied at 2 in the seventh, Holt hit a one-out triple, but with the infield in, Xander Bogaerts hit a grounder to third and Nick Castellanos made a diving stop for the second out. After a walk to Pedroia, the AL Central-leading Tigers brought in Coke, perhaps the most maligned member of Detroit's beleaguered bullpen.
With the count full, Ortiz hit a drive to center that Austin Jackson tracked down about 400 feet from the plate. Ortiz is now 2 for 19 against Coke — but he would get another chance later against Chamberlain.
Detroit took the lead with an unearned run in the seventh. After Castellanos led off with a single, Jackson hit a slow roller that Bogaerts mishandled at third for an error. One out later, Eugenio Suarez singled sharply to left to put the Tigers ahead.
Detroit starter Anibal Sanchez allowed two runs and six hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked two.
The Red Sox had men on first and third with one out in the fourth before Sanchez struck out Stephen Drew and Jackie Bradley Jr.
Pedroia opened the scoring in the third with a sacrifice fly, but Suarez tied it in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single. Cabrera doubled in the fourth and scored on Victor Martinez's single.
Napoli's sixth homer tied it in the sixth.