Papi power by Jared Carrabis
David Ortiz homers twice in Red Sox win


It’s like the home run derby never ended.

Having not homered since winning the Home Run Derby in Anaheim over the All Star break, David Ortiz belted his nineteenth home run of the season in the series finale out in Seattle.

There had been some chatter that Ortiz screwed up his swing in the derby, and that’s why he wasn’t hitting home runs. Well, I think Ortiz put it best when he said (and I’m paraphrasing here), “How can I screw up my swing in a Home Run Derby when all I try to do is hit home runs?” Valid point made.

With Clay Buchholz on the mound for his second start since returning from injury, 2005 Home Run Derby-winner Bobby Abreu got a 1-1 changeup from the right-hander and hammered it over the wall in right-center for a solo shot.

Trailing by a run in the top of the second, Victor Martinez came to the plate for Boston for the first time since being placed on the disabled list, after suffering a broken thumb in the series finale at San Francisco. Facing the newly acquired Dan Haren, Martinez lined a base hit into center that scored Adrian Beltre from third, who tripled to start the inning.

In the next inning with two away, Ortiz jumped on a first-pitch curveball and drove it over the wall in right for his second home run in as many games. The big fly for Ortiz gave him 20 for the season.

In the top of the fifth with two outs, Kevin Youkilis lined a first-pitch fastball right back to the mound, striking Haren in his right forearm. The injury caused the right-hander to be lifted from the game after four and-two-thirds innings. Facing just 21 batters, Haren had whipped up eight strikeouts before completing five full innings.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Buchholz had retired eleven straight Angels before allowing a base hit to Juan Rivera. However, the right-hander was unfazed, as he retired the next two batters in order to make it through seven innings.

Just one run separated the two teams in the top of the eighth, when Ortiz came to the plate with Youkilis on board at first. Ahead in the count 3-0, Ortiz had the green light and was swinging away. The lefty DH fouled three straight pitches before blasting pitch number seven to deep right-center for a no-doubter of a home run.

Ortiz’s second long ball of the night gave the Red Sox a 4-1 lead and some breathing room for a very shaky bullpen.

Scott Atchison took over for Buchholz in the eighth, who finished his night having tossed seven innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits, while walking one and striking out seven.

With two outs and a runner on base, Atchison served up a two-run bomb to Hideki Matsui on a slider that brought the Halos back within a run.

In the top of the ninth with two runners on base, JD Drew turned in a great at bat before drilling a 3-2 fastball that hit off the top of the wall in right field. Two runs came around to score, as Drew cruised into second with a two-run double that just missed being a home run by inches.

The three-run lead meant that it was time for Jonathan Papelbon. Making his 40th appearance of the season, Papelbon had arguably his best stuff of the season working for him on Monday night. After allowing a lead-off single to Mike Napoli, Papelbon buckled down to get a fly out and a ground out, putting the Red Sox an out away from victory.

0-for-4 Erick Aybar stepped in with hopes of extending the game, but Papelbon had other ideas. With the count even at two, Boston’s closer buried a 91 MPH splitter in the dirt, as Aybar helplessly waved at the pitch that he thought was in the strike zone, but in fact, was not.



Final score: Red Sox 6, Angels 3
WP: Clay Buchholz (11-5)
LP: Dan Haren (7-9)
SV: Jonathan Papelbon (23)
HR: Bobby Abreu (11), David Ortiz (20, 21), Hideki Matsui (14)

Game notes: David Ortiz’s two-homer game gave him three home runs in his last two games. It was Ortiz’s 37th career multi-homer game, his 35th with the Red Sox, and the third of the 2010 season. Ortiz’s 35 multi-home run games with the Red Sox tie him for second in franchise history with Jim Rice, as the lefty slugger only trails Ted Williams with 37.

Eye on the scoreboard: A no-hitter by Matt Garza lifted the Rays over the Detroit Tigers, and the Yankees squeaked by the Indians in a 3-2 win. As a result, the standings don’t budge. The Red Sox remain eight games behind the Yankees for first, and five games back of the Rays in the Wild Card.

Tweet of the Night: @Sean_McAdam: Apparently, that HR Derby was good practice for Ortiz when it comes to hitting balls out of Angel Stadium.

-Jared Carrabis

Published on July 26, 2010

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