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A SEASON IN THE DRINK
(CHICKEN & BEER) ...
David Ortiz slugs landmark home run
July 27, 2011 ...
Kansas City pitcher Bruce Chen fell behind David Ortiz before leaving
a slider high in the strike zone, right over the middle of the plate.
Ortiz swung hard and sent the ball soaring to right field, high
enough for the crowd of 38,329 to rise from their seats and follow
its flight. The ball cleared the visitor's bullpen and landed in the
bleachers. The grand slam helped send the Red Sox to a 12-5 victory
and added to Ortiz's growing legacy.
The four
RBIs gave him 1,000 as a member of the Red Sox. The only other members of that
select group are Carl Yastrzemski (1,844), Ted Williams (1,839), Jim Rice
(1,451), Dwight Evans (1,346), and Bobby Doerr (1,247). All but Evans are Hall
of Famers and have had their numbers retired. Ortiz has 369 home runs in his
career, tying Ralph Kiner for 70th place in history. He also has hit at least 20
home runs for 10 years in a row.
Of more
immediate importance is that Ortiz is 5 for 9 with four extra-base hits and nine
RBIs in the last two games. He had fallen into a long slump, hitting just over
.200 with only two home runs over a span of nearly seven weeks.
A designated
hitter, Ortiz lost at-bats during a stretch of nine consecutive interleague road
games. Then came the All-Star break followed by his serving a three-game
suspension for his role in a brawl with the Orioles. But this homestand has
allowed Ortiz to regain the rhythm and timing of his swing.
As Ortiz
connects, the Sox follow. They have scored 25 runs on 32 hits in the last two
games. The Sox have won six of their last seven and now lead the Yankees by
three games in the American League East.
Chen (5-4)
gave up 10 runs on 10 hits over four innings. The Sox, down, 3-0, in the first
inning, scored twice in the bottom of the first, three times in the second, then
added five more in the fourth. Gonzalez, who like Ortiz had fallen into a bit of
a funk that he now is emerging from, had three more hits and three RBIs. Dustin
Pedroia was 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs. That extended his hit streak
to 24 games.
It's the
longest streak in the American League this season and second only to the
30-gamer that Andre Ethier of the Dodgers had earlier this year. He is Pedroia's
former teammate at Arizona State and a close friend. More impressive, perhaps,
is that Pedroia has reached base safely in 36 consecutive games with a hit in 35
of those contests. He is hitting .391 during that stretch.
Jacoby
Ellsbury also was 3 for 4 with a home run. He has 17 this season, tied with
Gonzalez for the second-most on the team behind Ortiz's 20. Eight of Ellsbury's
home runs have come since July 6. Ellsbury and Pedroia had their home runs
back-to-back in the bottom of the first inning. According to home run historian
David Vincent, the last time the first two Red Sox batters in a game hit home
runs was July 21, 1995, when Troy O'Leary and John Valentin did it against
Minnesota.
John Lackey
(9-8) embraced the run support, picking up his fourth consecutive victory
despite giving up four runs (three earned) on 11 hits over 5 2/3 innings. |
