“It’s like in spring training, the first few days of spring training,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “You’ll never see him pull a ball.”

Mike Piazza, whose fifth-inning homer tied the game at 5, isn’t surprised that Ramirez is hitting well after missing nearly a month.

“He still has quick hands. He’s a huge run producer,” Piazza said. “He’s not afraid to get jammed and hit the other way.”

Pedroia’s leadoff homer off Jerry Blevins (0-1) started a four-run sixth inning and broke the tie.

Ramirez then walked, Ortiz doubled him to third and Lowell singled both home. Lowell took third when center fielder Nick Swisher misplayed J.D. Drew’s long fly ball for a two-base error and scored on Jacoby Ellsbury’s groundout.

Lowell, who can become a free agent after this season, is having the best of his nine seasons. Ortiz had a single and two doubles, giving him a career-high of 50, and Pedroia doubled twice and hit his eighth homer.

Mike Timlin (2-1) entered the game with two outs and a runner at first in the sixth, with the score tied at 5. He needed one pitch to retire Piazza on a foul popup to third baseman Lowell.

Boston starter Jon Lester had a season-high nine strikeouts in 4 1-3 innings but allowed Piazza’s eighth homer, a solo shot that tied the game. Lester walked the next batter and was relieved by Kyle Snyder.

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Oakland had taken a 1-0 lead in the third on Swisher’s sacrifice fly. Boston made it 3-1 in the bottom of the inning on Lowell’s two-run single and Drew’s sacrifice fly. Oakland jumped ahead on Donnie Murphy’s three-run homer, his sixth of the season, in the fourth.

Then Boston took a 5-4 lead in the fourth on RBI singles by Ramirez and Lowell.

“It’s great to have (Ramirez) back and Youk in there,” Pedroia said. “We’re getting healthy. We’re getting there.”

Notes: Piazza’s homer was his 427th and moved him into 39th place in major league history ahead of Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs. ... Lester is 6-0 in his last 14 starts starting on Aug. 13, 2006, but his ERA in that span is 5.54. ... Jack Cust had three strikeouts and leads the AL with 160 in 385 at-bats. ... Ellsbury singled in the fifth and has hit safely in 21 of his 22 games since being recalled on Sept. 1 from Triple-A Pawtucket. He has reached base in 26 straight games. ... Timlin tied Roberto Hernandez for 10th on the all-time list with 1,010 appearances.

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