BOSTON -- Suitable for framing? Maybe for Red Sox reliever Tommy Hottovy, who made his big-league debut after spending parts of six seasons in Double-A Portland and retired the only batter he faced.

But for anyone else associated with the home team, this was more in the category of a toddler's scribbling that you hang on your refrigerator hoping that your kid's talent is a work in progress.

The Sox spotted Oakland a 4-0 lead in the first inning, came back to take a 5-4 lead within three innings, fell behind again by the midpoint, 6-5, then scored late -- two in the seventh, one in the eighth -- to come away with an 8-6 win that ended their four-game losing streak.

Clay Buchholz was singled to death early, made a throwing error and threw a wild pitch that led to the tying run in the fourth, and didn't get out of the fifth in his shortest start in almost two months. But he was spared an ugly loss when the Red Sox offense, presumably refreshed by a day off Thursday, uncorked enough counterpunches to win the opener of this three-game set.

Carl Crawford hit a broken-bat, two-run single in the seventh to put the Sox ahead, 7-6, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered over the Sox bullpen for an insurance run in the eighth.

Bobby Jenks, despite a double, balk and walk that put runners on the corners in the seventh, got the win after coaxing Daric Barton to hit into an inning-ending double play. Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless eighth and Jonathan Papelbon rang up his 11th save.

The teams play Saturday afternoon, the original game time switched to allow fans to watch the Bruins on TV Saturday night.

Adrian Gonzalez (3 hits), Kevin Youkilis (double, walk, hit by pitch) and David Ortiz (single, double, walk) combined to reach base nine times and score five runs, three by Youkilis.