BALTIMORE (AP) — Sporting a lineup top-heavy with sluggers, the Boston Red Sox got the power they needed from the bottom third of their batting order in a feel-good win over the Baltimore Orioles.

Daniel Nava and Kelly Shoppach hit sixth-inning homers to turn a tie game in Boston’s favor, and newcomer Scott Podsednik also connected to help carry the Red Sox to a 6-5 victory Wednesday.

Nava batted seventh, Podsednik eighth and Shoppach last. The trio won’t make anyone forget the homerun power of David Ortiz, Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis, but on this day they combined to go 6-for-9 with three homers, four RBIs and four runs.

The victory enabled the Red Sox to finish a grueling stretch of 20 games in 20 days with an 11-9 record, and thrust them back to .500 (22- 22). Boston took two of three from the Orioles, who were seeking to win a fourth straight series against the Red Sox for the first time since 1960.

“The top part of the lineup has been doing so much work in 20 days, they were a little under the (weather) today,” manager Bobby Valentine said. “The bottom third, (hitting coach) Dave Magadan has done such a fabulous job, we said, ‘Let’s leave it to those guys to do it.’ And they did.”

It was 2-all in the sixth before Nava drove a 2-0 pitch from Jake Arreita (2-5) over the right-field wall. Podsednik followed with a single, and Shoppach greeted Luis Ayala with a drive to left.

Nava and Shoppach each doubled their home run total for the season; the pair also connected on May 14 against Seattle.

Valentine revealed that the seldom-used Shoppach had griped about his lack of action less than 24 hours earlier.

Nick Johnson’s second homer of the game, against Andrew Miller with a man on in the sixth, got Baltimore to 5- 4. But Podsednik hit a solo shot in the eighth for a two-run cushion.

Acquired from Philadelphia on May 11 and summoned from Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday, Podsednik got two hits in his first start with Boston.

Wilson Betemit hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth off Vicente Padilla, and Alfredo Aceves got four straight outs for his 11th save in 13 chances.

And after that, the Red Sox began looking forward to a well-deserved day off.

Boston starter Daniel Bard (4-5) allowed two runs, five hits and four walks in 5.1 innings.

Johnson’s first multihomer game since May 28, 2006, was not enough to prevent the firstplace Orioles from losing for the third time in four games. With the potential tying run on second base in the eighth, Johnson ended the inning with a strikeout.

Notes — Baltimore went 12- 8 over the same 20-game stretch. … Nava has 11 RBIs in 14 games since joining the Red Sox on May 10.