CLEVELAND -- Sometimes mistakes can lead to a loss, but that was not the case for the Cleveland Indians Wednesday night at Progressive Field.

"We made a few mistakes, but we outplayed them," said Indians manager Terry Francona.

Mike Napoli's home run in the bottom of the seventh inning broke a 6-6 tie and lifted the Indians to a 7-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

Cleveland wasn't charged with any errors, but there were a few key plays that should have been made but weren't. Napoli, however, rode to the rescue, belting a 2-2 pitch from reliever Junichi Tazawa (0-1) over the left-field wall for his first home run.

"With two strikes I was just trying to shorten up and put the ball in play," Napoli said. "He hung a splitter and I put a good swing on it."

The win went to reliever Zach McAllister (1-0). Cody Allen pitched the ninth inning to pick up his first save.

"I felt like we were in good shape with a tie game in the seventh, and we had our pen where we wanted it," said Boston manager John Farrell. "But Tazawa threw a splitter that didn't get to its spot and Napoli hit it."

Trailing 5-2, the Red Sox sent eight men to the plate in the sixth inning and scored four runs to take a 6-5 lead. The inning began with a towering home run by David Ortiz over the center-field fence off Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco. It was Ortiz's second home run in as many days and the 505th home run of his career, moving him past Eddie Murray and into 26th place on the all-time list.

Hanley Ramirez then made it back-to-back home runs by hitting an opposite-field line drive that sailed into the right-field seats to cut the Cleveland lead to 5-4.

Ross Detwiler relieved Carrasco and Detwiler got pinch hitter Chris Young to hit a routine fly ball to shallow left-center field that fell between left fielder Jose Ramirez and center fielder Tyler Naquin for a gift double. Tyler Holt drew a walk, and so did Blake Swihart, loading the bases with nobody out.

Jackie Bradley Jr.'s sacrifice scored Young with the tying run, and moved Holt to third. McAllister relieved Detwiler. Mookie Betts hit a ground ball to third baseman Juan Uribe, who ignored Holt, the runner at third, and threw to first for the out, but Holt scored on the play to give Boston a 6-5 lead.

"Juan knew he should look somebody back, but he kind of looked the wrong way," said Francona.

"That was very good base running by Holt, to create some indecision," Farrell said.

The Indians tied it on a sacrifice fly by Uribe in the sixth inning. Napoli's home run in the seventh gave Cleveland the lead, and the Indians bullpen got the final six outs to preserve the win.

The Indians, who could manage just two runs in nine innings in a 6-2 loss on Opening Day Tuesday, scored four runs in their first five batters on Wednesday. Jose Ramirez started that first-inning rally with a one-out single off Clay Buchholz. Jason Kipnis followed with a booming double into the right-center-field gap, scoring Ramirez with the first run of the game.

Napoli drew a walk. Carlos Santana then belted the Indians' first home run of the year, a three-run blast estimated at 431 feet into the Indians' bullpen in center field, giving Cleveland a 4-0 lead.

"I tried to throw a fastball in, but it leaked over the middle and he put a good swing on it," said Buchholz of Santana's homer.

Buchholz pitched four innings, giving up five runs on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

"They ran his pitch count up, and he elevated some pitches that they didn't miss," Farrell said.

A two-run home run by Holt in the second inning cut the Indians' lead to 4-2.

Cleveland struck for another run in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, rookie Naquin singled to right field for his first major-league hit. Naquin went to second on a groundout, and scored on a two-out single by Ramirez to make it 5-2.

NOTES: Indians OF Lonnie Chisenhall is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Columbus on Thursday. He is on the disabled list with a left wrist impingement. ... Indians INF Jose Ramirez made his third major-league start in left field on Wednesday. "His versatility helps us a lot," manager Terry Francona said. ... Boston C Christian Vazquez is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday. He is on the DL as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery. ... Four Red Sox pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts on Opening Day. That's the most by Boston pitchers on Opening Day since at least 1913.