Ortiz Carries Sox To Comeback Win Over Blue Jays
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
BOSTON – David Ortiz tied the game in the eighth inning with his 47th homer, then singled home the winning run in the ninth to give the Boston Red Sox a critical 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays last night.
Boston trailed 4-1, and a loss would have dropped the Red Sox two games back of New York in the AL East and one game behind Cleveland in the wild-card race.
Instead, the Red Sox (93-66) enter their season-ending three-game series with the Yankees (94-65) at Fenway Park trailing New York by one game.
Rookie Jonathan Papelbon (3-1) pitched 2 2 /3 scoreless innings for the win, and Manny Ramirez hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Jason Frasor that cut the deficit to 4-3.
Ortiz homered off Vinnie Chulk leading of the eighth, and Miguel Batista allowed a one-out single in the ninth to Johnny Damon, who stole second.
Edgar Renteria walked, and Ortiz lined a 3-2 pitch into the shortstop hole as Damon easily scored.
As he rounded first, Ortiz raised both arms to the sky and was mobbed by teammates. The crowd chanted “MVP! MVP!”
***
INDIANS 6, DEVIL RAYS 0 C.C. Sabathia pitched eight shutout innings, Travis Hafner homered, and the Indians, who conceded the AL Central title to Chicago earlier in the day, stayed tied for the wild-card lead by rolling to a 6-0 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
In salvaging the series finale, the Indians (93-66) snapped a three-game losing streak that helped the White Sox hold onto their dwindling lead and clinch the division. Cleveland is tied with the Boston Red Sox atop the wildcard standings with three games left.