BOSTON (AP) — Detroit manager Jim Leyland knows that if his offense needs a jump-start he has the perfect players to do it.

Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder homered on consecutive pitches to cap a five-run fifth inning Wednesday night, and the Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox 7-5 to avoid a three-game sweep.

“Those guys are awfully good right in the middle. They’re pretty good at what they do and they did what they do tonight,” he said. “When we get rolling pretty good that’s a good threefour combination, probably as good as anybody in baseball. They’re fun to watch.”

Cabrera and Fielder helped sparked a Tigers’ squad that had trouble scoring runs on a just completed ninegame road trip. In losing six of its first eight on the trip before Wednesday, Detroit was held to 2.38 runs per game.

Cabrera, just 1 for 6 against the Red Sox in the first two games, was offended about the recent talk about the lack of offense.

“The biggest problem was hanging a breaking ball to one of the best hitters in the game,” Boston starter Aaron Cook said. “He had a long at bat and I tried to do something a little different.”

Delmon Young added a solo homer for Detroit, which won for just the second time in seven games.

Carl Crawford hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, who had a four-game winning streak halted.

Cody Ross, Will Middlebrooks and Pedro Ciriaco had RBI singles for Boston. “We keep winning series and we’re going to be just fine,” Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said.

The Tigers finished 2-5 in Fenway Park and were 5-5 overall in the season series against the Red Sox.

Rick Purcell (8-6) pitched 5.2 innings, giving up four runs on eight hits for the win. He was 0-2 with a 10.80 ERA in three career starts against Boston.

Cook (2-5) was hit hard for the second straight start, allowing six runs on nine hits, including two homers, in 4.2 innings.

NOTES: Boston DH David Ortiz, on the 15-day DL with a strained right Achilles, was eligible to come off Wednesday, but Valentine said he hadn’t done any running yet so it would likely be a few days … Valentine said RHP Josh Beckett, who left Tuesday’s game in the third inning with a back spasm, is not expected to go on the DL and is scheduled to start Sunday against Texas, but LHP Franklin Morales is ready just in case. … RHP Scott Atchison, out with an ulnar ligament injury, is expected to see Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion.

• Who: Minnesota Twins at Boston
Red Sox.
• Where: Fenway Park.
• When: 7:10 p.m. tonight.
• Starting pitchers: Minnesota (Sam
Deduno 2-0) vs. Boston (Jon Lester
5-8).
• TV: NESN.