Ortiz at 1st in Fenway for 1st time since 2005

The Marlins are 3-1 in games that go into extra innings. For game one against the Red Sox the Marlins start Dan Haren who has allowed 86 hits and 38 earned runs while striking out 71 over 99 innings for a 6-5 record and a 3.45 ERA.

He joins Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, and Albert Pujols.

“Hell no”, a grinning Ortiz said. The Red Sox have no trouble scoring as they rank fifth in the AL in home offense with 4.6 runs per game.

Hanley Ramirez handed the Boston Red Sox another well-timed win. The top of the order is solid with Mookie Betts, Brock Holt and Xander Bogaerts all hovering around. He wasn’t intentionally trying to go opposite field. Rich said. “That, to me, sounds selfish”. “I’m a natural pull hitter, I’m not an opposite-field hitter”. “I like doing my focusing on hitting”.

Now 39, Ortiz has 14 home runs, but he is batting only. Miami (35-48) won five of six immediately after Stanton fractured his left wrist June 26, but it couldn’t get much going during a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs.

Ortiz’s double led off the sixth inning, and he coasted into second base after the ball hopped into the stands.

The double gave Ortiz sole possession of 24th on the Major League Baseball all-time list. “And then the line drive, ground-rule double”. There was a lot of hard contact from him tonight.

Speaking his mind publicly also makes Ortiz look like he doesn’t want to do what is best for the team. He committed an error that day but had played 40 games at the position since then with just one miscue.

“I’m too old for that man”, Ortiz said. And you know what?

“Any time David’s name comes up, you think DH, and yet every game that we’ve seen him play first base he plays it freely and plays it naturally”.

“I know that these past couple of days, they want to make the lineup look different or whatever”, Ortiz told reporters.

How long this experiment lasts depends on the bat of Mike Napoli and if the regular first baseman can ever get back to form. Even though he is currently at 5-2 for wins and losses, and his ERA is 1.99, his career has reached new heights within the last month. Farrell chose to use Ortiz in the field for the second time in three games with another offday coming up on Thursday, which Ortiz will take full advantage of. But I know my boy (Napoli) is going to bounce back and do what he normally does.

“It’s a long season”, Ortiz said.

I mean, just an absolute rifle. “Just going to chillax, get ready for the big series coming up”. It wrapped up this weekend when they outslugged one of the other best offenses in the league in the Houston Astros, taking two of three and almost winning the middle game in the process. The Boston Red Sox made a good call to put Buchholz in as starting pitcher in Saturday’s game against the Astros, allowing them to regain some of their dignity.

“Everybody went nuts”, Hanigan said of the homer. “We have guys capable to turn things around”.