Big Papi's second homer of the night and 22nd of the season, off Chicago reliever Tony Pena, wrapped around Pesky's Pole in right and landed 10 rows deep as Ortiz's Red Sox teammates streamed out of the dugout to greet him at home plate.
Wakefield, who returned to the mound at Fenway for the first time since July 8, went seven strong and left with a 2-1 lead. But Boston reliever Ramon Ramirez gave up a home run to Scott Podsednik in the eighth, tying the score at two.
Daniel Bard came on to pick up the pieces, finishing the eighth and retiring the White Sox in order in the ninth to earn his first win of the year and his first as a major leaguer. In 1 1/3 innings, Bard allowed no hits and struck out three.
Red Sox 3, White Sox 2
Fenway Park, Boston, Mass.
August 26, 2009
Headliner: David Ortiz channeled his inner Big Papi and launched a walk-off homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth to give the Red Sox the 3-2 win. The dinger was Ortiz's second of the night. He also homered in the second inning to tie the game at one.
The walk-off blast was Papi's first since Sept. 12, 2007, against the Rays. It was the 10th walk-off of Ortiz's career and his ninth with the Red Sox, breaking the old team record he shared with Jimmie Foxx.
Dirt dog: In his first big league start in seven weeks, Tim Wakefield kept the White Sox lineup off balance all night. His knuckleball was dancing like it was salsa night at the Fens. The veteran righty went seven innings and held the White Sox to just one run on six hits while striking out three and walking one. Wake was in line to pick up his 12th win of the season — and build on his 7-0 home record this year — before Ramon Ramirez allowed a game-tying homer in the eighth. Wakefield remains undefeated in his last eight starts.
Better luck next time: Reliever Ramon Ramirez came in to close the door on the White Sox in the eighth inning, but the right-hander coughed up a leadoff home run to pinch-hitter Scott Podsednik to tie things up at two, blowing the save and taking away Wakefield's 12th win of the year. Ramirez also walked a batter in just two-thirds of an inning.
Key moment: After belting a solo shot in the second inning, designated hitter David Ortiz appeared to have lost his stroke, striking out twice in his next two at-bats against Chicago starter Gavin Floyd. Finally, in the bottom of the ninth, Papi dug in and wrapped a game-winning homer around Pesky’s Pole to give the Red Sox the 3-2, walk-off win.
On deck: Taking the hill in the series finale with the White Sox will be rookie righty Junichi Tazawa, who is coming off his second win of the season. Taz helped top the Yankees 14-1 last Saturday by holding New York to eight hits in six shutout innings of work. Tazawa is now 2-2 with a 3.57 ERA in his first four MLB games (three starts). The 23-year-old is undefeated in his two Fenway Park starts and has allowed just five earned runs in 16 innings as a starter since joining Boston earlier this month.
Facing Tazawa will be southpaw John Danks, who is 11-8 with a 3.85 ERA. Danks has won his last two decisions (three starts), holding opponents to just four earned runs in that span (21 2/3 innings) and lowering his ERA from 4.23 to 3.85. Danks owns an impressive 6-3 record and a 3.72 ERA on the road this year but is 0-3 in his career against the Red Sox (0-1 at Fenway).
