His head bent, bat in hand, David Ortiz trudged to first base. He was out, as he has been so many times this postseason. He walked to the dugout, to teammates who suffered the same fate at the plate. He looked broken. And as he limped back, boos were heard at the once-beloved slugger.
Then the ball lifted, lifted and carried, and dropped into the right-field stands. He had broken out and brought his team back into a game and a series that was seemingly over. It was a three-run home run in the seventh, bringing the Sox within 7-4, and the Rays were the ones suddenly reeling. It wasn’t enough, but he didn’t need to do it all.
He left that to his teammates.
That was amazing. I have to admit, if I had watched this game in the US I would have gone to bed before the magic started. Here in the Afghanistan I had just poured a steaming hot cup of coffee at the start of the seventh. What a way to start a day. Go Sox
I watched 7 innings, saw the Big Papi dinger, and thought, “too little too late” and went to bed. This morning when I retrieved the newspaper, I brought in the Red Sox flag hanging from my house, and opened the newspaper to check the final score. The flag is back out there for at least 2 more days.
Go Sox. Go Tar Heels.
It’s never over until the last out. The Sox-Mets Series in 1986 should have taught everyone that when the Sox were one strike away from finishing the Mets and winning the Series a couple of times.
Kendall, old Red Sox and Cubs fans have a lot in common. The Cubs’ drought will end, someday, too.
I went to bed after checking on the game on and off, and the D. Rays were up by 7 runs. I was astounded when I got up this morning and read the headline of the newspaper.
Its sad when the roller coaster stock market and economic news no longer phases you, but a baseball game does.
Thanks, Blueontario in #3. I was travelling and so missed the game; I watched in disbelief on Sportscenter during my morning run as they showed what happened.
I was particularly struck by the scene of the fans–some of them–leaving in the 7th inning with the score Rays 7, Red Sox 0. Talk about a decision to regret!