Papi returns, Sox picking up pace

BIG PAPI HAS RETURNED


Red Sox Nation can finally exhale – Big Papi has officially gone yard for the first time in the 2009 MLB season. And it was a big one. David Ortiz’s center field two-run shot came at the perfect time for a special player who has had 149 homerless at bats.

On a big night when one King was defeated in Cleveland, another King reclaimed his throne in Boston. It was an exhilarating feeling to see Papi come through in such a big way, especially after everything he’s been through in the last 6 months. It was epic, fulfilling, and it was long overdue. Couple that with everything else that happened in last night’s Boston-Toronto game at Fenway, and it was a perfect formula for a magical night in Beantown. The Red Sox continued to exhibit why they have the best home-hitting average in baseball hitting five homeruns, four of which came in one inning, and Jacoby Ellsbury extending his hitting streak to 15 games. Kevin Youillis returned to the lineup from injury picking up where he left off slamming hits and increasing his already over 400. batting average. The Boston fans also exhibited why they’re the best fans in baseball, giving standing ovations to every single pitch thrown to Big Papi until he finally went deep, and generating an almost palpable mixture of love and pride on a summer night in the most beloved ballpark in the America. Truly it was bliss seeing Papi round the bases with Fenway rocking hard and every member of the team beaming with a smile as they congratulated him.

After the game, Big Papi had only positive things to say after a dark couple of weeks feeling ashamed in front of the Boston media. "My teammates are the best," said Ortiz. "It's something that we have built up around here, man. I look at their faces when I'm not doing good, and they look at me like, 'Hey, hang in there. We're right behind you.' I've got so much support from everyone here that I can't even break it down for you. That's how it is here. I'm the kind of guy that I never forget my teammates. I always try to help them one way or another, and everybody is the same way. That chemistry has been going around here for so long."

All of this pandemonium came at the expense of Brett Cecil and the Toronto Blue Jays, the team that has gotten quite comfortable atop the AL East – a little too comfortable in fact. It’s no secret that the Jays’ schedule for the first quarter of the season has been substantially easier than that of the Sox, playing mainly teams from the Central and Western divisions. With the Jay’s first arrival to Fenway Park of the season, this series has gone rather routinely for the Boston Red Sox. It won’t be long now till the Jays have sunk back down to 4th place in the AL East where they belong as the Red Sox continue to pick up pace and the summer heats up in New England.

The AL East is getting fierce and it’s a relief for the Nation that David Ortiz has returned.