7 must-see moments from Big Papi's dramatic day
Bryce Harper might want to make baseball fun again, but David Ortiz has been doing that in Boston since 2003.
For a player who didn't begin his career at Fenway, Big Papi has drastically changed the culture of Red Sox baseball since signing as a free agent 13 years ago.
On Saturday, he nearly hit for the cycle while providing the game-tying and walk-off hits as part of one of the more dramatic games this season.
Here's a look at seven of the best moments from Ortiz's big day:
1. Home run history
It became obvious pretty early in the afternoon that Ortiz was going to have a special day. In his second at-bat, Ortiz belted a deep homer to dead center, kicking off the fireworks. The blast was the 513th of his career, passing legends Eddie Mathews and Ernie Banks.
2. Run Papi run
Down to their last out of the game and down by one, it was fitting the Red Sox had Ortiz at the dish and Xander Bogaerts at first base. Ortiz delivered with the all-too-rare game-tying triple - his first since 2013 - sending the Fenway faithful into a frenzy.
3. Coming full circle
After he pushed the game into extras, Ortiz came back up to the dish in the 11th and drilled a walk-off double to center field, once again driving home Bogaerts with the winning run.
4. Let the party begin
The celebration mimicked that of a World Series win. Teammates sprinted to Ortiz and mobbed him at second base as a cloud of rosin and sunflower seeds surrounded them.
5. Hanley knows records
Most players probably didn't realize it, but Ortiz's double was No. 600 for his career, allowing him to join Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron as the only players in history to record 600 doubles and 500 home runs. Teammate Hanley Ramirez hugged him after the achievement.
6. You're my boy, Blue
This was a Powerade shower for two. Ortiz was given the obligatory splash, while NESN sideline reporter Guerin Austin also got drenched in the celebrations.
7. Walking away from a crime scene
Ortiz left with a win, glory, a Powerade shower, and second base as a memento of the game and his doubles record. That's right: He picked up second base and walked into the clubhouse with it.
(Video courtesy: MLB.com)