MINNEAPOLIS — Cody Ross hit two home runs as the Boston Red Sox rallied for a 6-5 win over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night, snapping a five-game losing streak. Ross, who signed with Boston as a free agent in the offseason, cranked a two-run homer to tie the game 5-5 in the seventh, then added a solo shot in the ninth off Matt Capps (0-1). It was the eighth career multi-homer game for Ross. Daniel Bard (1-2) got the win for Boston, pitching out of a jam in the eighth. Alfredo Aceves pitched the ninth inning for his third save of the year, surrendering only a one-out single to Chris Parmelee. The Twins have lost three in a row. Trailing by two in the seventh, the Red Sox pulled even when Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled, then Ross lifted a long home run into the second deck in left field. Jon Lester started and went seven innings for Boston, but he is still looking for his first win of the season. He gave up five runs on six hits and four walks, striking out four. The Twins looked to be on the brink of taking the lead in the eighth when Jamey Carroll led off with a single into the right field corner. Ryan Sweeney misplayed the ball for a two-base error, and Carroll ended up on third with no outs. But Franklin Morales got Joe Mauer to bounce out, then gave way to Bard. Josh Willingham lined out, and Bard intentionally walked Justin Morneau before getting Ryan Doumit to pop out to shortstop, ending the threat. Jason Marquis started for Minnesota and gave up five runs in 6 1/3 innings. The Red Sox got on the board early, as leadoff hitter Mike Aviles singled, advanced to third on a single by Dustin Pedroia and scored on a sacrifice fly by Adrian Gonzalez. After David Ortiz singled and Kevin Youkilis reached on a fielder’s choice in the second, Jarrod Saltalamacchia plopped his second homer of the season into the front row of the right field seats, giving Boston a 3-0 lead. Lester cruised through the first three innings, but he hit a snag with one out in the fourth. Mauer’s single was followed by a Willingham walk. After Lester struck out Morneau, Doumit doubled to score Mauer and Willingham. Three pitches later, Danny Valencia blasted his first homer of the season into the Red Sox bullpen in deep left-center field, giving Minnesota a 4-3 lead. An inning later, Carroll bounced into the Twins’ big-league-leading 19th double play of the season, but it brought in a run. Trevor Plouffe scored from third base, putting the Twins up 5-3. NOTES: Center fielder Marlon Byrd made his Red Sox debut after coming to Boston in a trade with the Cubs on Saturday night. … Twins catcher Mauer threw out Pedroia on an attempted steal of second base in the first inning. Previously, runners had been 10-for-10 when attempting to run on Mauer this season. … Red Sox utility infielder Nick Punto made his return to Target Field but did not play. Punto spent seven seasons with the Twins.

 

TORONTO (AP)

Ricky Romero used to struggle against the Boston Red Sox. Not anymore.

Romero outdueled Jon Lester, Yunel Escobar drove in two runs and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Boston 3-1 Wednesday to drop the Red Sox to 1-5.

”Ricky was the story here today,” Blue Jays manager John Farrell said.

Romero (1-0), who won just two of his first 11 career starts against the Red Sox, beat Boston for the third straight time. He earned back-to-back victories over the Red Sox during their historic swoon last September, beating them Sept. 8 at Toronto and Sept. 14 at Fenway Park.

The left-hander credited improved control and aggressiveness for his recent success against the Sox.

”I think at times against Boston I tried to do too much and walks killed me against them,” Romero said. ”I looked at video of my two (September) starts against them last year and it was just strike one, pound the zone and I had a good rhythm going against them.”

Boston’s Dustin Pedroia called Romero ”one of the best lefties in baseball,” and Kevin Youkilis was just as complimentary.

”He’s very effective,” Youkilis said. ”He’s the ace of that staff for a reason.”

Other than a third inning that saw the teams combine for five hits and three runs, the two starters were perfect until Lester (0-1) issued a two-out walk to Rajai Davis in the eighth, snapping a streak of 15 consecutive outs. Davis promptly stole second, beating the tag on a failed Red Sox pickoff play, then scored on Escobar’s single to center.

Romero saw his streak of 17 straight outs end when Jacoby Ellsbury and Pedroia drew back-to-back walks to begin the ninth. He left to a standing ovation after Adrian Gonzalez flied out to center, with both runners advancing on the play.

Sergio Santos came on to strike out Youkilis, then ended it by getting David Ortiz to ground out. The save was the first of the season for Santos, who had blown his first two chances.

”There was quite a bit on my mind just because of everything that’s happened,” said Santos, who coughed up the lead in the ninth inning of Monday’s home opener. ”It was nice to block all that out, get out there and throw some effective pitches.”

Romero allowed three hits, all singles, in 8 1-3 innings. He walked two and struck out five.

Lester allowed three runs and three hits in eight innings, walked three and struck out six in his seventh career complete game. Lester, who was beaten by Detroit’s Justin Verlander on opening day last Thursday, has not won since beating the Blue Jays at Toronto last Sept. 6, a span of six starts.

”You can’t ask for him to throw the ball any better than that,” Pedroia said. ”I feel horrible for him.”

Romero set down the first six batters he faced before giving up a run in the top of the third. Cody Ross and Mike Aviles led off with back-to-back singles but Ross was forced out at third on Kelly Shoppach’s attempted sacrifice bunt. Ellsbury followed with an RBI single to left, but Romero recovered by striking out Pedroia and getting Ortiz to ground out.

Lester, who had also retired the first six Blue Jays batters, couldn’t hold the lead. Eric Thames singled to begin the bottom half, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Davis’ one-out triple into the right field corner. Escobar followed with a sacrifice fly.

A year after losing their first six games to start the season, the Red Sox are 1-5 as they back to Fenway for Friday’s home opener against Tampa Bay.

”Obviously it’s not the way we wanted to start,” Lester said. ”Nobody wants to start this way.”

”We’re not playing good right now,” Lester added. ”The game’s we’ve pitched well we don’t hit, the game’s we don’t pitch well, we hit. We haven’t put it together right now. Nobody in this clubhouse wants to start slow, regardless of years past.”

Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista went 0 for 3, extending his slump to 0 for 12. Bautista’s last base hit was an eight-inning single in Sunday’s 4-3 loss at Cleveland.

Bautista’s hitting woes aren’t hurting his play in right field: he made a sliding catch on Adrian Gonzalez to end the sixth, one of several fine defensive plays by the Blue Jays. Third baseman Brett Lawrie had the other highlight play, a diving catch of Cody Ross’s liner to begin the fifth.

Notes: The game was played in a brisk 2:13. … Blue Jays OF Ben Francisco made his first start of the season at designated hitter, while 1B Adam Lind was given the day off and replaced by Edwin Encarnacion. … Toronto Maple Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul attended the game, and was booed when he was shown on the scoreboard. … The Red Sox are off Thursday before opening their home schedule Friday against the Rays, with Josh Beckett (0-1) facing David Price (1-0).

By DAVID DRIVER

WASHINGTON – The Boston Red Sox played a spring-training game in Florida on Monday against the Nationals and faced the same Washington club here Tuesday afternoon in the last exhibition contest of the year.

Boston was to fly Tuesday night to Detroit in preparation for Thursday’s opener against the Tigers, and it was easy to see for Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz that opening day could not come soon enough.

“We are all ready to go,” said Buchholz, the starting pitcher in Boston’s 8-7 comeback win. “It was good to get in a big-league park tonight and get under the lights a little bit.”

But discouraging news came late in the game when the team announced closer Andrew Bailey would have thumb surgery Wednesday in Cleveland. The surgery will be done by Dr. Thomas Graham of the Cleveland Clinic and Sox manager Bobby Valentine said he was told by the team trainer not to expect Bailey back until at least the All-Star break.

Bailey, who came to the Red Sox in a December trade, was 0-4 with a 3.24 ERA and 24 saves last year for the A’s. He has 75 saves in his first three seasons and was an All-Star closer for Oakland.

“We won’t use him until he is fully rehabbed,” Valentine said.

The first-year Red Sox manager did not name a new closer, but said Mark Melancon is among those that could close out games.

“I am ready,” Melancon said. “It is unfortunate Bailey is out. We have a good bullpen. We will be all right. We are going to figure it out and be all right.”

As a moving truck parked outside of the Red Sox clubhouse, players and coaches dressed quickly for the flight to Michigan.

Among those looking dapper in a light brown suit was Boston outfielder Ryan Sweeney.

“I think everyone this time of year is ready to get the season started,” Sweeney said.

The Red Sox will face reigning American League Cy Young and MVP award-winner Justin Verlander in the opener.

The on-field results Tuesday were encouraging as Buchholz retired the first 12 hitters while center fielder Jason Repko hit a go-ahead double in the top of the ninth inning before throwing out Washington shortstop Ian Desmond at the plate to end the game.

“He has only done what we have asked him,” Valentine said of Repko.

Daniel Nava hit a homer for Boston and Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia each had two hits, Pedroia driving in three runs.

With Bailey in Cleveland, it was an unlikely hometown pitcher who pitched the ninth and got the save for the Red Sox.

Chorye Spoone, who grew up near Annapolis, Md., got his first save of the spring and lowered his ERA to 2.08. Spoone, a former Orioles prospect, said he had several family members in attendance.

Buchholz allowed four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings with no walks and five strikeouts. He gave up two home runs.

“My tempo was a little better,” Buchholz said. “I have tried to cut down on my walks and I felt I have done that.”

WASHINGTON (AP) Outfielder Jason Repko’s bid to make the opening-day roster for the Boston Red Sox finished with quite a flourish.

He drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning, then threw out a runner at the plate for the game’s last out, and the Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 8-7 Tuesday in the exhibition finale for both clubs.

”I worked hard and showed how I can help the team win, and it’s in their hands, and I try not to spend too much time thinking about it,” Repko said.

Asked whether he’d be heading to Detroit with the Red Sox, who open at the Tigers on Thursday, Repko replied: ”I think it’s up in the air. We’re minute to minute.”

He’s played in six major league seasons with the Dodgers and Twins, limited to 67 games with Minnesota in 2011 because of several injuries. He signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox last month in hopes of making the roster as someone able to play all three outfield positions. He hit .289 this spring and stole seven bases.

”He’s absolutely been in the mix from the beginning, and today he gets the big hit in the game and in a big stadium makes a perfect throw,” manager Bobby Valentine said. ”He’s only done everything we’ve asked him to do.”

Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia sure looked ready for the regular season in front of a crowd of 30,568 at Nationals Park, combining for four hits, four RBIs and four runs – helping Boston take a 6-0 lead – before taking the rest of the cloudless afternoon off.

”I left a couple balls up in the zone with runners on base and they took advantage of it thanks to Dustin Pedroia – he drove in most of the runs,” Nationals starting pitcher Edwin Jackson said.

Jackson gave up six runs and five hits in 4 2-3 innings, with one walk, one wild pitch and two strikeouts.

Washington scored seven consecutive runs to go ahead 7-6. After the Red Sox tied it in the eighth, they went up 8-7 in the ninth on Repko’s RBI double down the right field line off reliever Henry Rodriguez, who hadn’t allowed a run in his previous 11 innings this spring and took the loss.

Repko, playing in center, then threw out Ian Desmond to end the game, with catcher Daniel Butler applying the tag.

”I thought I was safe, but I’m healthy. That could have ended a lot worse. I was rounding third, I was just telling myself, ‘Hey, be careful. It’s not that important.’ Nothing against the catcher, but we’ve got nothing on the line out there,” Desmond said. ”I think he was No. 81. No offense to him, but he wanted to block that plate, and I wasn’t really going to fight him for it, you know what I mean? During the season, it might be a little different.”

Alfredo Aceves, a candidate to replace the injured Andrew Bailey as Boston’s closer, pitched a scoreless eighth for the win. Bailey will have reconstructive ligament surgery on his right thumb on Wednesday and will be out at least several months.

Chorye Spoone threw the ninth for the save.

Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz cruised through four perfect innings before allowing Adam LaRoche’s leadoff single in the fifth and, four batters later, Wilson Ramos’ three-run homer. Desmond started Washington’s sixth with a solo shot.

Buchholz went 5 2-3 innings and gave up four runs and four hits. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out five.

”That’s the best I’ve felt all spring,” Buchholz said.

NOTES: Bailey and staff ace Josh Beckett both went to Cleveland on Tuesday to get second opinions on their thumb injuries. Beckett is expected to start as scheduled at Detroit on Saturday. … Boston plans to work out in Detroit on Wednesday, a day before opening the regular season with LHP Jon Lester on the mound against 2011 Cy Young Award winner and AL MVP Justin Verlander. … The Nationals will send RHP Stephen Strasburg to the mound for their opener Thursday at the Chicago Cubs, who will start RHP Ryan Dempster. Strasburg called his assignment as Washington’s opening-day starter a ”huge honor,” made more special because a year ago at this time he was still throwing on flat ground while rehabbing after reconstructive elbow surgery.