Ortiz powers Bosox by Birds in ten, 5-3
By Rick McNair
The O’s of Baltimore have a signed and sealed division title and the Red Sox have a signed and sealed last place division “title.” Tonight was a different story as Boston was powered by two David Ortiz home runs, the second in the tenth inning, to give Boston a 5-3 win and add a footnote to BSI’s column by Sean Sylver.
Boston decided to insert Rusney Castillo (one hit/assist) into the lineup after another dynamic performance in Pittsburgh by Jackie Bradley. Yes, it is easy to get sucked into negativism with the 2014 Red Sox.
In the last of third the O’s got something going against Boston’s Allen Webster.
Two singles and a walk loaded the bags with Nelson Cruz (three hits) stepping up. Cruz hit a slow roller to Garin Cecchini at third and his toss to first was in time except the footwork of Allen Craig was absent. Cruz got a generous infield hit when Craig missed the bag. Craig will not be on “Dancing with the Stars.” O’s up 1-0 at the end of three.
Boston counter punched in the top half of the fourth.
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O’s starter Kevin Gausman was greeted with back to back home runs by Ortiz (33) and Yoenis Cespedes (22). Ortiz blast gave him 100 RBI for the season. For you Castillo watchers the 72.5 million dollar man got an infield hit later in the inning. Boston now took the lead 2-1 with an Orioles like power display.
The fifth saw another Red Sox run.
Mookie Betts (2 hits) reached on a single and with two down Ortiz shot a double to right. Betts was out at home by five feet only to see O’s catcher Caleb Joseph notch an error for a gift run and give Boston a 3-1 edge.
The last of the frame had Castillo show off his arm.
Alejandro De Aza (3 hits) hit a wall ball double to right and then David Lough hit a single to center. Castillo charged and came up throwing and Christian Vazquez tagged the incoming De Aza. Red Sox hold serve.
Gausman was done after five innings allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
Webster was pulled after 5.2 innings allowing a lone run on seven hits with one walk and three punch outs. Webster’s ERA finally drifted under 6.00.
With two outs in the seventh John Farrell went to Craig Breslow who promptly gave up a double and a triple and thus chopping Boston’s lead to 3-2. The O’s were not done as Xander Bogaerts bad toss to first tied the game up. The error was number 20 for Bogaerts. New game at 3-3 after seven.
In the top of the tenth inning a Kelly Johnson error put Bogaerts on first with one out. Up stepped Ortiz. Three pitches later a blast ended up in the right field stands as Ortiz did his slow trot around the bases.
The loss went to Darren O’Day (5-2) with Junichi Tazawa (4-3) getting the victory. Edward Mujica worked the tenth for save number seven.
Saturday evening the Red Sox will send Rubby De La Rosa (4-7, 4.31) to the mound to match up with the O’s Chris Tillman (12-5, 3.29).