Just like old times: Papi powers Sox to walk-off win

Sox 5, Tampa Bay 4
WP: Papelbon (1-2)
LP: Reyes (2-3)
HRs: BOS-Papi, 2 (31); TB-Upton (24)

SUMMARY
David Ortiz conjured up memories of 2004 when he launched not one but two home runs tonight at Fenway, the first a three-run bomb in the third inning that got the Sox back in the game and the second a two-run shot off closer Al Reyes that won it in the bottom of the ninth.

#1 STUNNER ahh, let's see, who's deserving, oh yeah...Papi 2-5, 2R, 5BI, 2HR
On a night when he surpassed the 30HR/100RBI plateau for the fifth straight season and became only the third member of the Sox to do so, David Ortiz provided the Nation with a huge feel-good win and some valuable breathing room heading into the Stankees series.

PAN's FAUN Reyes 1/3IP, 1H, 1BB, 2ER, HR
Nearly one month to the day that he blew a 1-0 lead by allowing two runs to the Sox in the bottom of the ninth, Reyes must have had a major case of deja vu because this was a near carbon copy of that meltdown. Actually, this one was a lot better, or should I say worse?

RECAP
He's as good as Bird.

He's as bad as Snakes on a Plane.

He's Super Papi.

How else do you explain a man who has the strength to lift an entire Nation on his back, the ability to come through in the clutch when his team needs him the most, and the power to please a bloodthirsty fanbase as well as the Madison Avenue suits with his epic blasts and Vitamin Water smile?

I mean the guy missed most of five games in late July with two achy shoulders that have been nagging him ever since, then sent shockwaves through the Nation when he announced that he will undergo offseason surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, a problem that flared up as recently as Monday when he needed the night off, and now he hits his first walk-off home run of 2007?

If that's not superheroic I don't know what is.

David Ortiz provided his team and fans with a huge come-from-behind victory over the resurgent Rays tonight when he blasted a pair of homer off a pair of Tampa Bay pitchers and although each homer was huge in it's own right it was the one that travelled the shortest distance that provided the biggest bang.

The Rays had jumped out to a 4-0 lead before I had even arrived home from my son's practice when they plated four in the first off shaky starter Jon Lester (3.2IP, 8H, 4ER, 4BB, 5K ) on a pair of run-scoring singles and a two-run homer by centerfielder B.J. Upton.

As usual the Sox had their share of scoring chances fall by the wayside, something that could be expected with Mike Lowell sitting this one out with what could be food poisoning and Jacoby Ellsbury on the bench nursing a sore wrist courtesy of his collision with the Wall the other night.

In the bottom of the first Pedroia singled with one out but was doubled off first when Carlos Pena snagged Papi's hot shot down the line for a bang-bang inning-ending double play, and Boston left the bases loaded in the second when Eric Hinske grounded out following a single by J.D. Drew, a double by Brandon Moss and a walk to Coco Crisp.

But have no fear, because in the third everyone would find out that the old Big Papi was indeed still here.

After Rays starter Edwin Jackson (6IP, 8H, 3R, 3BB, 6K) allowed a leadoff single to Julio Lugo and a one-out walk to Pedroia, Ortiz stepped up with one thing in mind--getting the team back within striking distance of a win.

Then again we're talking about a team that just pulled off a win after trailing by seven runs in the fourth inning, so I guess 4-0 wasn't exactly the edge of the abyss or anything.

Still, when Ortiz turned on an 0-1 Jackson offering and deposited it over the visiting bullpen in right, it felt as if a weight had been lifted off everyone's shoulders, the weight of having to win this game with New York breathing down their necks.

Thanks to his three-run jack that cut the Rays lead to 4-3, that weight got a hell of a lot lighter.

Handed a new ball game Lester couldn't take advantage, and when he allowed two base runners with two outs in the third and hit the 97-pitch plateau, Tito pulled him in favor of Tavarez in order to preserve the young lefty's arm as well as his psyche.

Julie came in and immediately got Brendan Harris to hit into a fielder's choice ground out, and he would go on to provide three innings of no-hit, no-run ball, another sorely needed shot in the arm for a recently sagging bully.

Unfortunately the Sox would keep amassing baserunners only to leave them stranded on the basepaths: two in the fifth, one in the sixth, two in the seventh.

Time was ticking down and Boston was running out of innings, but at least the bullpen kept the deficit at one run, a key factor in the comeback to follow.

Manny D. relived Julie with two out in the seventh and retired pinch hitter Greg Norton on a nifty behind-the-back glove save right back to the mound, and he was victimized by a single that fell in between Pedroia (2-4, R) and Drew before retiring Aki Iwamura for the second out of the eighth.

Tito then summoned Hideki Okajima to pitch to Carl Crawford with an important insurance run in scoring position, and Oki came through big time when he fooled CC with a knee-buckling curve to end the threat.

The Sox went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning against Dan Wheeler, then Francona called upon his closer to come on and keep the game at 4-3 heading into Boston's last at bat.

Papelbon accomplished that mission when he retired Pena, Upton and Delmon Young on 12 pitches, setting the stage for the ninth inning fireworks.

On Aug 14th Reyes entered a game at Fenway with the Rays leading 1-0 and promptly served up a game-tying homer to Lowell a double to Tek and a game-winning hit by Coco, so when he walked Lugo to lead off the ninth it had to seem like deja vu all over again.

He did manage to get Pedroia to fly out for the first out of the inning, but then up stepped the Big Man to the dish, and if you squinted real hard you could see the signs of yesteryear all over the place--screaming fans, pennant race, scared shitless opposing closer.

After working the count to 3-1 it looked like they were doing the old "unintentional intentional walk" thing, until Reyes left the next pitch in Papi's wheelhouse, and he turned on it and lofted it high but not particularly deep into the right field corner.

Too bad for the Rays Delmon Young took a circuitous route to the spot the ball would land, because when it popped out of the glove of a fan ion the front row of the bleachers, it was clear had the confused kid reached the correct spot at the wall he would have had a decent shot at making a game-saving catch.

Alas the ball did find the pay dirt beyond the wall, and as Papi rounded the bases on that familiar journey preparing to get slammed on the head by his giddy awaiting teammates, the Fenway Faithful jumped up and down in delight, I jumped out of my seat screaming, and all seemed right with the world again.

That's the kind of things superheroes can do for a city. And a Nation.

Bring on the Stanks!