If you turned on last night’s Boston Red Sox 8-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in the 5th inning last night, you would have thought you were watching the Home Run Derby. The Red Sox hit four home runs in the inning, 5 total on the night, to break the game wide open.
Jason Varitek had two home runs (one in the 5th), while Jason Bay and Mike Lowell added home runs as well. If you do the math there, that only adds up to 3 home runs in the 4th. So who hit the other home run in the 5th?
Could it have been David Ortiz perhaps? Well if you said Big Papi, you’d be correct.
After 149 at-bats without a home run, Big Papi finally connected for a long ball and boy did he hit it a ton as it landed in the camera well in center field. When he returned to the dugout, he got the old cold shoulder, something usually reserved for when rookies hit their first home run.
Here’s a little of what he had to say after the game:
How did it feel to go deep?
I got that big old monkey off my back, you know? You have to understand, sometimes, that’s all it takes, to have a good at-bat and get a big hit and start clicking.What did you think of the fan support?
Great, great. That’s the same thing I’ve seen since I’ve been here. The fans, they’ve always been so supportive since I’ve been here. That’s unbelievable. There’s not too much I can say about it. I try to come every day and get it done for them.Did you enjoy your teammates’ reaction?
Oh great. They gave me a minute of silence. I don’t know who thought that up, but I know Pedroia had a lot to do with it. Little (expletive).How do you feel now?
I’m feeling good, dog. I’m feeling good. Like I said before, that’s the kind of game that gets you going. The biggest thing about the whole situation was the fans, man. They’ve been cheering for me every at-bat even when you don’t get it done and next time you come in, it’s the same thing. That means a lot.Did you feel different in your next trips to the plate?
Oh yeah. I feel like I got all my confidence back. Let me tell you. I look out there like a real hitter, not like the punch and judy I have been for the first 40 games.
Another good sign for Big Papi was the fact that he hit a double off the wall later in the game. The big thing now is to see what he can do in the next few days. That will be the true sign of whether or not he is really back. But it sure was nice to see him smiling once again.
Ortiz: ‘I got that big old monkey off my back’ [Full Count]
Blast from the past [Boston Globe]
Ortiz Homers As Sox Pound Jays [Hartford Courant]
David Ortiz comes up Big [Boston Herald]
Youkilis returns, and so does the Sox’ offense [Providence Journal]
For Papi, big sigh of relief [Boston Globe]
Ortiz’s Homerless Streak [Hartford Courant]
Things comes together for David Ortiz [Boston Herald]
Ellsbury catches a major-league record [Providence Journal]
Often powerless to stop a slide [Boston Globe]
Big Papi Big Again [Hartford Courant]
Jacoby Ellsbury snags 12 putouts [Boston Herald]
A rough home debut for Daniel Bard [Providence Journal]
The ultimate tracking device [Boston Globe]
Fran O’Brien catches grandson Daniel Bard [Boston Herald]
Ortiz hits his first home run of the season as the Sox romp [Providence Journal]
Youkilis right back in the swing [Boston Globe]
Bullpen’s a great relief for Francona [Providence Journal]
Bay watch: 40 and counting [Boston Globe]
Wakefield and the Pop-Up As Weapon [Full Count]
Unforgettable…. [Hit and Run with Dan Roche]
Five Things We Learned at the End of a Drought [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]
Baby Blue Bird Tastes Good [Center Field]
For more slices of Boston Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Providence Journal websites.
And if the enemy papers are more your flavor, you can head over to the Toronto Star and Toronto Sun websites.
