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DAVID ORTIZ |
THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE
David Ortiz slams the Mariners
May 28, 2004 ... David
Ortiz connected for only the second grand slam of his eight-year major league career, propelling the Red Sox to a 8-4 win over the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park.
Ortiz needed to do something to make it up to Pedro Martinez. After all, his previous grand slam was Sept. 7, 2000, off Pedro's brother, Ramon, who was pitching for the Sox when Ortiz was with the Twins. Last night, with the Sox and Martinez trailing, 4-2, Ortiz seized the moment with a first-pitch grand
slam off Seattle starter Joel Piniero in the fifth inning, handing Martinez a two-run lead.
The Sox scored five runs in the inning as back-to-back doubles by Kevin Millar and Kevin Youkilis cut the gap to 4-2. With two outs, Piniero walked Johnny Damon and Mark Bellhorn, setting the stage for Ortiz's 11th home run, over the leaping attempt of Ichiro Suzuki in right field.
Mariners manager Bob Melvin was told of Martinez's domination of the Mariners prior to the game. Martinez entered the game with a 12-0 record and 1.00 ERA against the Mariners. Most of that was accumulated by the Martinez with the 95-96-mile-per-hour fastball, not the one who throws 89-91.
Martinez seemed sharp early despite the 1-hour-20-minute rain delay. He had a 1-2-3 first inning in which he struck out two batters, but with one out in the second, Martinez left a 1-and-0 pitch to Bret Boone over the plate and off it went, settling into the third row of the Monster seats. It was the
eighth homer allowed by Martinez this season. He allowed seven homers in 186 innings all of last season.
Manny Ramirez made sure Martinez wasn't in a hole for long. The first batter in the bottom of the second, Ramirez hit his 13th homer on a 3-and-2 fastball from Piniero. The ball sailed into the Red Sox' bullpen, his fifth homer in the last eight games. Ramirez's homer was the 124th of his Sox career,
tying him with Fred Lynn, who was at the park last night. Also on hand was Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
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MANNY RAMIREZ |
Red Sox physician Bill Morgan yesterday joked about his less- than-stellar track record for predicting timetables for injured players to return, but in his opinion, third baseman Bill Mueller, who underwent arthroscopic surgery yesterday on his right knee, should be doing non-baseball activities in about
three weeks, and could resume baseball activities shortly thereafter.
It was a nice moment before the rain delay when vice president of baseball operations Mike Port, who suffered a heart attack May 1, threw out the first ball. Port, known for his dry humor, said he was "still under house arrest" when asked if he were heading back to work soon. He is, however, making
progress toward a return to the front office. "Now I can say I lived and died for the Red Sox," Port joked. |
