David Ortiz helps make Red Sox history by not recording putout at 1st base

Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz played first base against an American League team Sunday for the first time in nine years.

Perhaps "appeared" at first base is more accurate.

Ortiz's rare start at the position was a historic one, as the seldom-used defender helped set a franchise record by not recording a putout at first base. If it sounds unlikely, that's because it is.

According to Jon Shestakofsky, the club's manager of media relations and baseball information, Sunday's finale against the Houston Astros marked the first time in the team's 17,867-game history that the Red Sox did not have a first baseman record a putout.

Incidentally, the last time Ortiz started a game at first base in an AL ballpark was Aug. 5, 2006.

Ortiz's only action at first included fielding a grounder – one of only two ground ball Astros outs in the game – and tossing to pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez for the out at first. Otherwise, the Red Sox edged the Astros 5-4 with a collection of strikeouts, fly outs, and everything but plays-at-first outs.

Mike Napoli replaced Ortiz in the eighth, though his only chance to break up the rare event was botched when Brock Holt's throwing error in the ninth resulted in Preston Tucker reaching first base safely.