The Sox didn't stay down for long. Last night, Jonathan Van Every slapped the defibrillator paddles on their chest, yelled, ``Clear!'' and shocked them back to life.

Starting in right field because J.D. Drew had a sore quad, Van Every made his first big league home run one to remember, blasting the game-winner 420 feet to center field in the 10th inning to complete a comeback from a five-run deficit in a 6-5 victory against the Indians.

``It feels good,'' Van Every said. ``It would be hard to script it any better. It's definitely a good feeling. It couldn't have come at a better time. I kind of had an idea of how they were going to attack me and luckily I ran into one.''

The homer was the second hit of the night for Van Every, who also added an RBI single during a three-run eighth inning and made a Web Gem-worthy catch in the bottom of that inning with a dive in foul territory.

It was a sweet night all around for the longtime Cleveland farmhand, who spent seven years in the system without ever reaching the majors before signing with the Red Sox last year as a minor league free agent. He hit the home run off Jensen Lewis, his former minor league roommate.

The rally overcame a schizophrenic start from Jon Lester, who was touched for five runs in the first four innings before retiring the final nine batters he faced.

Four relievers combined to throw four shutout innings, though they were mostly of the high wire variety. Jonathan Papelbon closed it out for his sixth save, but not before Mark DeRosa put a scare in him by flying out to the center field wall leading off the 10th and Ben Francisco walked and stole second base.

Trailing 5-2, the Red Sox finally sustained a rally in the eighth. After Jason Bay was gunned down from third on a bang-bang play leading off, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek singled.

Jeff Bailey followed with a potential double play grounder to third baseman DeRosa, who booted it to load the bases. Van Every singled in one run and Drew's pinch-hit fielder's choice drew the Sox within a run.

Out went slow-working Rafael Betancourt, and in came Lewis, who allowed the game-tying single to Jacoby Ellsbury on an 0-2 pitch. Dustin Pedroia grounded to third to end the inning, but the game was tied.

The Indians threatened in the bottom of the eighth against Manny Delcarmen, loading the bases on two walks and a hit batter. But Van Every snared Grady Sizemore's liner.

Battling to harness his control for most of the night, Lester fought just to reach the sixth inning. By the time he settled down, he had already spotted the Indians two homers and five runs, putting the Sox in a hole they didn't even start to dig out of until the sixth. Mike Lowell, who extended his hitting streak to 13 games, and Jason Varitek had two-out RBI doubles in the sixth to cut the deficit to 5-2.

Missing starters Kevin Youkilis, who got the night off as Jeff Bailey went the distance at first base, and Drew, the Red Sox couldn't do much with Indians starter Fausto Carmona, who went 6 2/3 innings.

- jtomase@bostonherald.com