Ortiz gives R-rated endorsement of Porcello

Rick Porcello's Cy Young candidacy has the emphatic blessing of retiring Red Sox legend David Ortiz.

On the heels of Porcello's latest gem - an 89-pitch complete game that earned him his major-league leading 21st win - Ortiz shared some foul-mouthed thoughts about the Red Sox right-hander, who's steadily emerged as a front-runner for the AL Cy Young award.

"He doesn't (expletive) around," said Ortiz, according to WEEI's Rob Bradford, after Porcello pitched the Red Sox to a 5-2 win over the Orioles on Monday. "But when he's not pitching, he's the nicest (expletive). That's how everybody should be. When you're out there between those lines, you do what you've got to do. When he's out of those lines, he's the coolest (expletive)."

Porcello's award-worthy campaign has also caught the attention of ace-on-paper, David Price, who entered the year as a preseason favorite after signing a record deal with Boston.

At the very least, Porcello's performance appears to have solidified a lofty comparison. Boston general manager Mike Hazen likened the 27-year-old to former Red Sox right-hander John Lackey because of his intensity and never-back-down resiliency. Ortiz, meanwhile, said what makes the mild-mannered pitcher so effective is his no-fear approach in the strike zone.

"I've never, ever seen a pitcher throw that many strike continuously and the hitters have no clue what he's trying to do," Ortiz said after Porcello peppered the zone for 65 strikes, including 22 of the first-pitch variety. "That has been him all year around. Porcello pounds the strike zone better than anybody I've ever seen. He don't bullshit. He's on. Pop. Pop. Pop. Eighty-nine pitches? That's crazy."

Added Ortiz: "Man, what he is doing right now is extraordinary."