When the Red Sox loaded the bases against the Yankees yesterday with no outs, it looked like a prime opportunity. Boston has struggled of late, having at that point only scored twice in their last six chances with the bases juiced. As fans likely feared, the lack of production continued and the Beantown base runners all jogged off the field without scoring. And then the day just kept getting worse.
The Yankees torched the Boston pen after a solid start by Drew Pomeranz had the Red Sox up 4-1. With New York having taken a 9-4 lead, the bottom of the ninth saw David Ortiz clank a foul ball off his shin and immediately hobble out of the batters box. With a lot of help from trainers, he left the field.
Papi wasn’t the only sock to depart prematurely. Right fielder Mookie Betts, having left a game with too much fluid in his right knee weeks ago, was also pulled an inning earlier with soreness in his right calf. Manager John Farrell reported that there appeared to be “swelling” and “tightness” contributing to Betts’ discomfort. The 23-year-old is listed as day-to-day.
Things appeared ominous.
Ortiz taken for x-rays. No results announced yet. It's his shin... Betts doubtful for tomorrow. Gradual soreness.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) August 11, 2016
Ortiz is in the middle of a farewell season, but remains of Boston’s top offensive contributors, hitting .307 with a 1.012 OPS. He and Betts are battling for the team lead in home runs, Ortiz leading with 25 and Betts just behind him at 23. While Papi heads for retirement, Betts represents the incoming generation of Boston bashers, slashing .312/.353/.548 (he’s slugging just about even with Mike Trout) with 18 SB. In a tight AL East race that saw the Blue Jays take control of first place Wednesday, the loss of two big hitters could put a dent in the Red Sox’ late season plans.