Red Sox in Cooperstown Pt. 45: David Ortiz

DAVID ORTIZ 

Years in Boston: 2003-2016 (.290/.386/.570, 483 home runs, 524 doubles, 1,530 RBIs)

Best Year in Boston: 2006 (.287/.413/.636, 54 home runs, 137 RBIs)

David Ortiz has to be one of the single greatest free agent bargains in the history of the game.  Ortiz was originally signed by the Seattle Mariners as an international free agent and rose through the same system that produced Alex Rodriguez around the same time.  But in September of 1996, he was sent to the Minnesota Twins as a player to be named later in the deal that brought Dave Hollins to the Mariners.  The Mariners in those days made a lot of silly moves.  

Ortiz spent the next six seasons with the Twins, but only twice played in more than 100 games.  His power was evident as he hit 58 home runs during this time period, with a high of 20 in 2002, but the Twins wanted him to become something he was not.  The Twins thought that they could turn him into a contact hitter with occasional home run power.  After several seasons of attempting this, they decided to cut bait and non-tendered him in December of 2002.  Ortiz was on the market for a little while until Pedro Martinez contacted Red Sox management and put in a good word for him.  He was signed shortly thereafter for $1 million.  

2003 would be the turning point in Ortiz's career, but it did not start off real promising.  The Red Sox had brought in a number of hitters who kind of clogged up the first base and designated hitter spots, including Kevin Millar and Jeremy Giambi.  In addition, they had to find playing time for two third-basemen in Shea Hillenbrand and Bill Mueller.  So Ortiz struggled to get playing time for the first few months.  Eventually though, Hillenbrand was traded for relief help and Giambi's struggles made it easy to move on from him.  Ortiz found himself the primary designated hitter.  He did not let this opportunity pass him by as he hit .288/.369/.592 with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs, leading to a fifth place MVP spot.

The next season was when Ortiz became a legend.  He showed his 2003 season was not a fluke by hitting .301/.380/.603 with 41 home runs and 139 RBIs, making his first All Star team.  Then, he showed his incredible ability to hit in the clutch in the postseason.  First was the walkoff home run that sent the Angels home in the ALDS.  Then, he hit a stunning walkoff home run against the Yankees in Game 4 of the ALCS.  It was a must-win game for the Red Sox after being down 3-0 in the series and having just tied the game off of Mariano Rivera in the ninth.  He was not done though and hit a walkoff single in Game 5.  Ortiz hit .387 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in the ALCS win and was named the MVP.  He also homered in the World Series against the Cardinals.

From 2003 through 2007, Ortiz finished in the top five in the MVP balloting every season, finishing as high as second in 2005.  He led the league in RBIs twice, home runs once and walks once during this time period.  He set the team's single season record for home runs in 2006 with 54, surpassing Jimmie Foxx's nearly seventy-year old record of 50.  During this time period he helped the Red Sox to another World Championship in 2007.

In 2008, some cracks began to appear.  He got off to a very slow start and only ended up hitting .264 with 23 home runs and 89 RBIs.  2009 saw his batting average dip all the way to .238, but he hit 28 home runs and drove in 99.  There were concerns that he was waning, but he rebounded somewhat in 2010, hitting .270 with 32 home runs and 102 RBIs.  He was rejuvenated after that, suffering some minor injuries but staying mostly in line.

2013 was Ortiz's third World Championship season.  In the regular season, he was once again an All Star and won the Silver Slugger while finishing tenth in the MVP voting.  He hit .309/.395/.564 with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs.  Then, he reminded the baseball world of his clutch hitting ability in the postseason.  He hit two home runs off of the Rays in the ALDS.  He did not do much in the ALCS against the Tigers except for one at-bat that may be one of the greatest at-bats in postseason history.  Boston had struggled against the exceptional pitching of the Tigers in Game 1 and it was getting late in Game 2 when Ortiz came to the plate with the bases loaded in the eighth against Joaquin Benoit down 5-1.  He sent a Benoit pitch (who he had never homered against previously) into the bullpen, along with a chasing Torii Hunter to tie the game and provide the turning point in the series.

In the 2013 World Series, Ortiz was other-worldly.  The Cardinals tried to pitch to him early on, but he was crushing everything.  Even his outs were hit hard.  Eventually, they just stopped pitching to him altogether.  Ortiz ended up that World Series with a line of .688/.760/1.188 with two home runs and six RBIs to lead Boston to the title.  He was an easy choice for World Series MVP.

Ortiz's average dipped again in the next two seasons, but his home runs and RBIs remained at a high level and he eventually hit his 500th career home run.  He announced prior to the 2016 season that he would retire at the end of the year and it became his victory lap.  Teams lavished gifts on him throughout the season while he continued to wear out their pitchers.  He had what was probably one of his greatest seasons, hitting .315/.401/.620 with 38 home runs.  He led the league in slugging percentage, doubles (48, not bad for an old guy), RBIs (127) and OPS (1.021) and was an All Star and won the Silver Slugger while finishing fifth in the MVP vote.  Unfortunately Boston was bounced in the first round of the postseason and could not win one last time for the big guy.  Ortiz took to the field shortly after the last out at Fenway and tearfully waved goodbye one last time as an active player.

Ortiz's legacy is as an incredible clutch hitter who helped lead Boston to three World Championships, almost unheard of prior to his arrival (Harry Hooper has four, but that was 100 years ago).  He was an All Star ten times, won seven Silver Slugger Awards, was a Home Run Derby Champ and won the MVPs in both the ALCS and World Series.  He finished in the top five of league MVP voting five times.  He hit 541 career home runs, including 483 with the Red Sox, which is more than any other player not named Ted Williams.  Ortiz is a Red Sox icon and he was one of the faces of the game for many years.  There was some concern about his candidacy for the Hall of Fame, but when the voting was announced, he made it in with some room to spare.  Some writers did not vote for him because he was a designated hitter for the great majority of his career, others were convinced he used PEDs, though there was little, if any, proof of that.  When it all came down to it though, Ortiz marched into the Hall of Fame wearing a Red Sox cap.

Congratulations David Ortiz!

David Ortiz was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot last night, garnering 77.2% of the vote.  I will have a bigger post about this later on, but just wanted to comment.  I am absolutely thrilled about this.  Ortiz was one of the most dynamic Red Sox players that I have seen and he has so many great moments with the Red Sox.  He was a part of three World Championship teams and was a terrific postseason hitter.  On top of that, he hit more home runs than any Red Sox hitter not named Ted Williams.  I may have to consider a trip to Cooperstown this summer.

Red Sox Awards History: Designated Hitter/Edgar Martinez Award

The American League adopted the designated hitter position in 1973 in an effort to increase offense and draw in fans.  Initially, it was planned to be a trial for a few years, but it worked out well and the league kept it in place.  That first season a new award was created for the player who had the best year as designated hitter.  The name was originally just the Designated Hitter of the Year, but it eventually changed to the Edgar Martinez Award to honor the Mariners great who won five of them.  I doubt it would happen, but perhaps the name should be changed to the David Ortiz Award.

These are the Red Sox to win it:

ORLANDO CEPEDA - 1973

The designated hitter position was created for guys like Cepeda.  He was still an outstanding hitter, but he could barely move in the field.  Cepeda was in his mid 30's and coming off of a season in which he hit just four home runs in 31 games.  Boston signed him specifically to be their first DH and he came within minutes of being the first official DH.  He was the first really good one though as he hit .289/.350/.444 with 20 home runs and 86 RBIs.  He even received some MVP votes.  It was his last great season.

JIM RICE - 1977

Rice was a still young hitter in 1977 who spent most of the season as the team's DH as a result of Carl Yastrzemski still going strong in left field.  Fred Lynn and Dwight Evans were both terrific defensive players, so it was between DH and left field for Rice.  He ended up playing in 116 games at DH and 44 in the outfield.  Rice had his first truly great season in 1977 as he hit .320/.376/.593 while leading the league in home runs (39), total bases (382), and slugging percentage.  He also drove in 114 runs and was an All Star while finishing fourth in the MVP vote.

DON BAYLOR - 1986

Another aging star whose career was extended by being a DH, Baylor was in his first, and only, full season with the Red Sox in 1986.  He was coming off of a season in which he won the award for the Yankees in 1985.  He was traded to the Red Sox for Mike Easler prior to the season and had a little better season in 1986, hitting .238/.344/.439 while helping to lead Boston to the World Series.  He led the team with 31 home runs and drove in 94 runs.  Baylor also won the Silver Slugger and picked up some MVP votes.

DAVID ORTIZ - 2003-2007, 2011, 2013, 2016

David Ortiz will go down as one of the greatest designated hitters of all time.  He has won the award eight times, three more than the guy the award is currently named after.  He might have won a couple more if injuries had not ended his 2012 season early, and he could have won in both 214 and 2015.  Here is the breakdown on the years he won:

2003: .288/.369/.592, 31 home runs, 101 RBIs

2004: 301/.380/.603, 41 home runs, 139 RBIs

2005: .300/.397/.604, 47 home runs, 148 RBIs

2006: .287/.413/.636, 54 home runs, 137 RBIs

2007: .332/.445/.621, 35 home runs, 117 RBIs

2011: .309/.398/.554, 29 home runs, 96 RBIs

2013: .309/.395/.564, 30 home runs, 103 RBIs

2016: .315/.401/.620, 38 home runs, 127 RBIs

Saying Goodbye to Number 34

It is official.  David Ortiz, the face of the franchise since 2003, has retired.

It is often forgotten now that David Ortiz was not guaranteed a starting spot when he was acquired as a free agent after being non-tendered by the Twins.  He was considered to be a left-handed bat off of the bench, backing up Kevin Millar at first base and Jeremy Giambi at designated hitter.  He was not happy with his role and at one point asked to be traded.  But Giambi didn't hit and when Shea Hillenbrand was traded clearing Bill Mueller to play third, Ortiz became the designated hitter.  He ended up hitting 31 home runs and finishing fifth in the MVP vote after displaying a propensity for getting big hits.

2004 was the first amazing season from Ortiz as he hit 41 home runs, was an All Star for the first time, won his first Silver Slugger, and finished fourth in the MVP race.  The legend took hold in the postseason.  He hit a walkoff home run to win the ALDS against the Angels.  Then he had back-to-back walkoff hits in Games 4 and 5 in the ALCS against the Yankees.  It was at that point that his star power outshined Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez, and Curt Schilling.

Over the next few years, he finished in the top five in the MVP race each year, was an All Star and won the Silver Slugger.  He led the league in RBIs twice, walks twice, on-base percentage, total bases and home runs once while setting a new team record for home runs in a season.  In 2008-2009 he looked past his prime, after slumping badly early in each season and looking terrible against left-handers.  Each time he came back to post respectable numbers.

Ortiz made adjustments and made a late career resurgence.  He was an All Star four seasons in a row and won a Silver Slugger twice in that period.  As the years went by, he started racking up career milestones, including his 500th home run.  Ortiz also had an amazing World Series in 2013 and won his third ring with the Red Sox.  Only Harry Hooper has more with Boston.

His final season was one for the ages as he hit .315/.401/.620 and led the league in RBIs, slugging, OPS, and doubles.  He ends his career with a slash line of .286/.380/.552 with 541 home runs (17th all-time), 1,768 RBIs and a .931 OPS.  The Red Sox announced that Ortiz's uniform number will be retired right away next season.  No one will ever wear number 34 again in Boston.

David Ortiz will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in a few years.  Two things stand in the way of his easy election.  First of all, he was almost exclusively a designated hitter.  Second, he was named on a list of players who tested positive for some sort of substance that was done in 2003, though there are some major issues with that test that may limit its impact.  But Ortiz has done a lot of great things outside the lines.  I believe that he will make it into Cooperstown.    

A Plethora of Papis

In one package, I added a bunch of new Ortiz cards, pulling me to within two cards of my goal of 500.  Several of these were parallels that I had not yet added, with a couple of nice inserts for good measure.  My favorite is the Elite die-cut card numbered to just 34.  I love a good die-cut.  With just two cards to get to get to 500 now, that resolution is firmly within reach.

Orioles and Rays, Oh My

What a stupid title.  Anyway, I am a bit behind, so here is a catch-up post.

07/26:  Orioles 6 Red Sox 0 (61-43)
Boston continued to have problems scoring runs, as they did the entire series with the Rays.  This time Chris Tillman utterly shut them down.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DRAKE BRITTON:  1 IP, 2 strikeouts.

07/27:  Red Sox 7 (62-43) Orioles 3
Ryan Dempster was the stopper in this one, which featured three home runs, one which had to be reviewed.  This also featured some fireworks from David Ortiz, who argued a strike call on a 3-0 count, then was ejected.  He took his anger out on the bullpen phone which was replaced by cans with string by Dempster and Jonny Gomes.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

STEPHEN DREW:  3 for 5, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs, 3 runs.

07/28:  Red Sox 5 (63-43) Orioles 0
Jon Lester may have gotten his earlier problems under control as he pitched seven strong, shutout innings and struck out eight.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DAVID ORTIZ:  4 for 4, Home Run, 2 Runs, 2 RBIs.

07/29:  Rays 2 Red Sox 1 (63-44)
David Price once again shut down the Red Sox offense.  Boston should have tied the game on a fly ball in the eighth but the umpire missed Daniel Nava slide in safe.  He later admitted to the mistake, but it cannot be undone.  Frustrating loss.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

NO CARD YET

BRANDON SNYDER:  1 for 3, Home Run.

The All Star Game

Truthfully I was kind of bored with the All Star game this year.  Not a whole lot really happened, particularly with the Red Sox players.  Boston had three All Stars this year, Clay Buchholz, David Ortiz, and Dustin Pedroia.  Buchholz was hurt and did not play.  Pedroia came in during the top of the 1st after Robinson Cano was hit on the knee with a pitch and had to be removed.  He was 0 for 2 with a strikeout and made one play in the field that I remember.  Ortiz was 0 for 2 after starting the game.  So that was it for the Red Sox in the game.  I was very disappointed that Koji Uehara was not voted in to the game.

As for everything else, like I said it was a pretty boring game.   Mariano Rivera was named the MVP which I am pretty ambivalent towards.  There really was not anyone that was a better pick for the award.  Not much offense and the pitching was all pretty much the same.  I guess based on that, Rivera is an okay pick for the award, but it's not like his performance really stood out that much from anyone else's.  It was definitely a recognition of his career more than for his performance in that game.  Just my opinion.

Red Sox Take 3 of 4 from Mariners

The West Coast road trip continued this week in the Pacific Northwest.  It was a hard-fought series featuring several rallies.

07/08:  Mariners 11 Red Sox 4 (54-37)
Felix Hernandez shut down the Red Sox offense and Jon Lester struggled yet again.  The rest of the bullpen did not really help anything out with Alex Wilson and Jose De La Torre each giving up three runs.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

MIKE NAPOLI:  1 for 4, Double, Run, RBI.

07/09:  Red Sox 11 (55-37) Mariners 8
Boston hit five home runs and Craig Breslow picked up the win in this game that saw the Red Sox come back from a deficit of 5-1 at one point.  David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Mike Napoli, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Shane Victorino each homered.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DAVID ORTIZ:  4 for 5, 2 doubles, home run, RBI, 3 runs.

07/10:  Red Sox 11 (56-37) Mariners 4
Felix Doubront continued his hot streak and Boston rolled in this one.  Brandon Workman made his Major League debut, pitching two innings with three runs and four strikeouts.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DAVID ORTIZ:  2 for 3, home run, double, 2 runs, 3 RBIs.

07/11:  Red Sox 8 (57-37) Mariners 7
Boston won in the tenth on an RBI single from Daniel Nava.  Knuckleballer Steven Wright got his first Major League win and Jacoby Ellsbury, Jose Iglesias, and Brock Holt each drove in two runs.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

NO CARD YET

STEVEN WRIGHT:  5.2 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, Win.

Ugh, the Tiger Series...

The Tigers are pretty damn good, so it's not horrendously surprising that Boston struggled.  It's the way that they struggled.  Boston lost three out of four.  But in two of those games, they had the lead late in the game.  The bullpen has been troublesome lately, to say the least.

06/20:  Tigers 4 Red Sox 3 (44-31)
This was the worst one.  Boston lead 3-2 going into the bottom of the ninth.  Enter embattled closer Andrew Bailey who immediately gave up a walk then a two-run walkoff home run to Jhonny Peralta.  Lost in that was a good performance by John Lackey, a home run by David Ortiz, and Jose Iglesias continuing to shock the world.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

JOHN LACKEY:  7 innings, 7 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts

06/21:  Red Sox 10 (45-31) Tigers 6

Jon Lester's struggles continued.  He had one bad inning but it lead to four Tiger runs.  He gave up five runs once again.  Shane Victorino had a huge game and Jose Iglesias and Stephen Drew each had three hits.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

SHANE VICTORINO:  4 for 5, run, 5 RBIs, home run

06/22:  Tigers 10 Red Sox 3 (45-32)

Allen Webster was once again called up to make a start and he struggled early, giving up a grand slam to former Sox Victor Martinez but then settled down.  He struck out five on the night.  The bullpen was dreadful though with Franklin Morales giving up four runs and Alex Wilson giving up one.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DAVID ORTIZ:  2 for 4, home run

06/23:  Tigers 7 Red Sox 5 (45-33)

Boston managed to tire out Justin Verlander, knocking him out after five innings, but Felix Doubront did not fare much better.  Boston was ahead into the bottom of the 7th when the tying run scored and then the bullpen melted down in the 8th, giving up three runs.  There was a questionable call in the 8th that hurt quite a bit.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

 DUSTIN PEDROIA:  3 for 4, 2 runs

Red Sox Take 2 Out of 3 from Angels

Boston continued to play well, this time against the Angels at Fenway.  The first game was rained out so the teams played a double header on Saturday then finished on Sunday.

06/08 Game 1:  Angels 9 Red Sox 5 (37-25)
The game was close for a little while, but then Boston relievers could not find the strike zone leading to three bases-loaded walks that put the game out of reach.  Boston did rally in the bottom of the 9th, but they were down too fa to make a complete comeback.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

NO CARD YET

MIKE CARP:  3 for 5, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, home run

06/08 Game 2:  Red Sox 7 (38-25) Angels 2

Clay Buchholz returned from a missed start his last time out to pitch well once again and remain undefeated.  He ended up leaving the game with a neck injury in the seventh inning but took the win anyway.  

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DAVID ORTIZ:  2 for 5, three RBIs, home run, double

06/09:  Red Sox 10 (39-25) Angels 5

Ryan Dempster pitched another good game and the Red Sox hit four home runs from Jarrod Saltalamacchia, David Ortiz and Mike Carp.  

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA:  2 for 4, 2 home runs, 4 RBIs.

Red Sox Win 3 out of 4 Against Old Manager's Team

The Red Sox had a four game set against the Cleveland Indians in Terry Francona's return to Fenway Park.  The Indians had been playing very well of late so this was a pretty good matchup.

05/23:  Indians 12 Red Sox 3 (28-20)
Ryan Dempster only lasted three innings, giving up four runs and Clayton Mortenson and Alex Wilson did not fare much better.  By the time Boston handed the ball to the reliable Craig Breslow, Junichi Tazawa, and Andrew Miller, the damage was done.  David Ortiz hit a three run home run to provide all of the offense.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DAVID ORTIZ:  1 for 3, three run home run

05/24:  Red Sox 8 (29-20) Indians 1
John Lackey was very strong and Mike Carp hit a three-run home run to put Boston ahead in the second inning and they never relinquished.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

JOHN LACKEY:  Win, 7 innings, 2 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts, unearned run

05/25:  Red Sox 7 (30-20) Indians 4
Jon Lester has been slumping a bit of late.  He gave up four runs and Boston was down 4-3 going into the bottom of the eighth when they plated four runs.  Mike Carp drove in the tying run then scored the go-ahead run on Dustin Pedroia's double.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

PEDRO CIRIACO:  3 for 4, run, RBI, double

05/26:  Red Sox 6 (31-20) Indians 5
Felix Doubront struggled through the first two innings and Boston was down 5-2 going into the bottom of the ninth inning when Indians closer Chris Perez imploded, allowing Boston to come to within one run and have the bases loaded.  Perez then got hurt and was taken out for Joe Smith who gave up a two-run walkoff double to Jacoby Ellsbury on the first pitch.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

JACOBY ELLSBURY:  2 for 5, 2 run game-winning double, stolen base

Red Sox Avoid Being Swept by White Sox

05/20/13  White Sox 6 Red Sox 4 (27-18)
Jon Lester took the loss for the first time this season as he was hammered for six runs over six innings.  A rally fell short.  Shane Victorino once again had to leave the game with an injury, this time to his hamstring.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA:  2 for 3, home run, 2 RBIs

05/21/13:  White Sox 3 Red Sox 1 (27-19)

White Sox starter Jose Quintana had a no-hitter into the seventh before running into trouble, but Boston could not capitalize on a bases loaded situation and dropped the second game.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

FELIX DOUBRONT:  6 innings, 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, Loss

05/22/13:  Red Sox 6 (28-19) White Sox 2

Clay Buchholz was sharp and finally won his seventh game of the season.  The offense got a boost in the later innings and Boston was able to pull away and put this in the win column.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DAVID ORTIZ:  2 for 5, run, 2 RBIs, stolen base

05/17-05/19: Red Sox Sweep Twins

The Red Sox played the Twins in Minnesota this weekend.  They had a four game set in Fenway a couple of weeks ago and the Twins won three out of the four so Boston was looking for a little bit of revenge in this set.  They had it.

05/17: Red Sox 3 (25-17) Twins 2

This game went into extra innings.  It was a low-scoring game with the Red Sox tying it in the seventh and winning in the tenth.  The seventh win of the season once again eluded Clay Buchholz even though he pitched very well.  Jonny Gomes won the game in the 10th with a sacrifice fly, scoring Dustin Pedroia.  Alex Wilson got the win and Koji Uehara took the save.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

CLAY BUCHHOLZ:  7 innings, 2 earned runs, 9 strikeouts, 3 walks

05/18: Red Sox 12 (26-17) Twins 5

It was closer than the score appeared.  Boston pulled way ahead in the seventh inning.  Ryan Dempster was wild, walking six in less than five innings.  David Ortiz had a big game, hitting two home runs and driving in six.  Daniel Nava also homered.  Craig Breslow got his first win of the season.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DAVID ORTIZ:  3 for 4, 3 runs, 6 RBIs, 2 home runs

05/19: Red Sox 5 (27-17) Twins 1

John Lackey got the win after pitching six innings of one-hit ball.  He came out after a three hour rain delay interrupted the game.  But Andrew Miller, Koji Uehara, and Junichi Tazawa kept up.  Will Middlebrooks and Dustin Pedroia each homered.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DUSTIN PEDROIA:  2 for 5, 3 RBIs, 2 runs, home run

05/14-05/16: Red Sox Take 2 of 3 from Rays

This may be the way I do these things from now on.  It is just easier to discuss the series as a whole rather than in individual games.

The Red Sox won two out of three games from the Tampa Bay Rays.  It was the first series win the Red Sox have had in the last couple of weeks.

05/14: Rays 5 Red Sox 3 (22-17)
This one started off promisingly with a three run home run from David Ortiz in the first inning.  But that was pretty much it for the offense the rest of the game and John Lackey imploded in the fourth inning, giving up five runs, capped by two runs scoring when Mike Napoli lost the ball in the lights on a pop up.  It was an embarrassing way to lose.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DAVID ORTIZ:  1 for 4, 3 run home run

05/15: Red Sox 9 (23-17) Rays 2
Game 2 went much better as the Red Sox exploded for eight runs in the third inning thanks to a grand slam by Stephen Drew.  Will Middlebrooks later homered as well.  Jon Lester was very good, giving up only two runs in seven innings with no walks.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

STEPHEN DREW:  2 for 3, 2 runs, grand slam

05/16: Red Sox 4 (24-17) Rays 3
The Red Sox trailed until the ninth inning 3-1.  Then Fernando Rodney was wild, walking the bases loaded.  With two outs, Middlebrooks came up and doubled, driving in three runs to give Boston the lead.  Junichi Tazawa nailed down the ninth inning.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

WILL MIDDLEBROOKS:  1 for 3, 3 run double, walk

05/04: Rangers 5 Red Sox 1 (20-10); 05/05: Rangers 4 Red Sox 3 (20-11)

Boston's offense took the weekend off apparently.

In Saturday's game Boston managed seven hits but only one run.  John Lackey was decent, but not good enough as the offense could not solve Alexi Ogando.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

JUNICHI TAZAWA: 1 inning, 1 hit, 3 strikeouts

David Ortiz and David Ross hit home runs in the first two innings of Sunday's game but Jon Lester could not hold the lead and the offense was done after that, striking out 14 times against Yu Darvish.  Former Sox Adrian Beltre drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth off of Clayton Mortenson.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DAVID ORTIZ 1 for 3, 2 run home run

04/30 Bullpen Troubles: Blue Jays 9 Red Sox 7 (18-8)

Boston scratched back into it and lead at one point late in the game but the bullpen imploded.  These things happen from time to time.  The important thing is to learn from the mistakes and move on.  Jon Lester had nothing from the beginning of the game but kept them in the game throughout and that allowed Boston to come back and take the lead at one point.  Jonny Gomes and Mike Carp both hit their first home runs with the Red Sox.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DAVID ORTIZ 2 for 5, 4 RBIs, double, home run

04/28: Red Sox 6 (18-7) Astros 1

The Red Sox swept the Astros in four games.  John Lackey returned to the mound again after spending a couple of weeks on the disabled list and looked sharp, pitching six innings of five hit ball, giving up one run, two walks, and striking out four.  The bullpen got the job done afterwards.  Much of the offense was provided by David Ortiz and Stephen Drew.  Daniel Nava made an excellent leaping catch to record the final out of the series.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DAVID ORTIZ 2 for 4, double, 2 RBIs

04/27: Red Sox 8 (17-7) Astros 4

The Red Sox doubled up the Astros today with Felix Doubront winning his third game of the season.  He struck out eight and walked four and has gotten progressively deeper into games.  Still his walk and pitch rate remain a concern.  Daniel Bard made an appearance and walked the only two batters he faced on nine pitches.  Most of the pitches were not remotely close.  Also a concern.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DAVID ORTIZ (2 for 3, double, 3 RBIs)

04/25: Red Sox 7 (15-7) Astros 2

The newest American League team came to Boston for the first time this offseason.  Clay Buchholz continued his hot start to the season, winning his fifth straight start with a microscopic ERA.  The offense came through with a four-run first inning.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DAVID ORTIZ: (3 for 4, 3 runs, 2 RBIs, home run)

Doubleheader Blues 04/21: Royals 4 Red Sox (12-5) 2; Royals 5 Red Sox (12-6) 4

Well this was embarrassing.  There really should be no excuse to lose both ends of a doubleheader, but that is what happened.

In the opening game, Ryan Dempster took the loss with one bad inning where he allowed three runs.  Unfortunately the offense could never really get going and that was enough to lose.  David Ortiz had three hits and Daniel Nava had two, but that was pretty much it for the offense.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DAVID ORTIZ (3 for 4, double, RBI)

In the second game Allen Webster, the big prize in last year's Dodger deal, made his Major League debut.  He pitched well, pitching six innings, striking out five, walking one, and allowing three runs.  He left the game with the lead, but Koji Uehara gave up a tying home run and Andrew Miller walked in the lead run in the 10th.  Boston had several opportunities but could not come up with a big hit.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

MIKE NAPOLI: (3 for 5, home run, double, two RBIs)