HR #22

A SAD END TO A RECORD SEASON
David Ortiz does
it again in the 10th

June 24, 2006 ... David Ortiz has done it again. Ten innings had come down to a single Tom Gordon-vs.-Ortiz at-bat, with everyone in the stands and the Boston dugout sure of who would win out.  The designated hitter's two-run homer provided the difference in a 5-3 win over the Phillies that extended the Red Sox' winning streak to eight.

Gordon threw a 92-mile-an-hour cutter in that was nasty that David swung over. Then he threw him a slider at 86 that was nastier. Ortiz found the next pitch, a slightly hanging curve to his liking. He wasn't looking for a breaking ball. He was just looking for something over the plate. It was the seventh regular-season walkoff home run of his career (one with Minnesota), and second in two weeks; he ended the first game of the June 11th doubleheader with one

After Ortiz performed his rakish flip of the helmet, he met his screaming teammates for another fete on the diamond, another celebration of his power and, most of all, his timing. Joined by an ovation from 35,564, the jumping and playing looked as if it could have happened on a Little League field. Papelbon threw his arms around Josh Beckett. Kevin Youkilis playfully punched Willie Harris. Ortiz lorded over (or under) it all.

For those who remember Gordon's best days as a member of the Red Sox, it was his patented 12-to-6 curveball - a beauty of a pitch that doesn't seem to have diminished with age and miles - that Ortiz sent flying to end the first extra-inning game at Fenway this season after 3 hours and 39 minutes.

The Red Sox, though, might not have been in that situation had it not been for a quartet of young relievers that got Schilling out of his only jam of the day and didn't allow an earned run over their four innings of work.

Schilling gave up two runs in the first inning, on a bunt single by Jimmy Rollins, a bloop single by Chase Utley, and a two-run double by Bobby Abreu, but had settled down after that. With his splitter working more effectively than it had in a while, he struck out six straight at one point, from David Dellucci looking with one out in the fourth to Abreu swinging on a split to open the sixth.

But after Schilling allowed two hits and his first walk of the game to start the seventh, manager Terry Francona replaced his starter with Manny Delcarmen. The bases were loaded. The score was 3-2, Red Sox. Though Delcarmen allowed one inherited runner to score on a single to right by Rollins, Javier Lopez relieved him and got Utley to ground to short for a double play that ended the inning. Lopez left after one more batter, having thrown four pitches for four strikes and three outs, for Craig Hansen.

And then, after Hansen struck out Pat Burrell and allowed a double and a walk, it was time for Papelbon. Having not pitched since last Sunday, Papelbon's young arm was fresh enough for 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, a stint that only brought his ERA down one-hundredth of a point, to 0.24. Though Papelbon got himself into trouble in the ninth, loading the bases on a single, double, fielder's choice, and intentional walk to Abreu, he dialed it up to 97 for a fastball that Burrell swung through to end the inning. Two more strikeouts, one more inning, and Papelbon was allowed to go wild out of the dugout.

Mark Loretta left after six innings, replaced at second base by Alex Cora , because of a mild neck strain, which he sustained on an awkward swing during the game. Loretta is day-to-day. Mike Lowell's second-inning home run was the 25th of his career against the Phillies, 12 more than he has against any other opponent.