It was Ortiz’s first start at first in a non-interleague game since August 5, 2006, and first at Fenway since July 16, 2005.
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Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, June 21, 2015.
Red Sox slugger David Ortiz started at first base in Sunday’s 5-4 win over the Houston Astros – his first start at the position in an American League contest in nearly nine years – for the struggling Mike Napoli. And you know what? “It’s about putting best lineup on the field today”.
Napoli is in the midst of the worst season of his career offensively. He fully recognizes where he’s at and continues to work at getting this thing turned around.
In other news, Farrell announced Wade Miley and Rick Porcello will start Tuesday and Wednesday against the Marlins and Justin Masterson will pitch out of the bullpen for the remainder of the first half. “His daily work is there to try to get this turned around”.
Typically, Big Papi wields a glove only in interleague road games (and, of late, only with a right-hander on the mound for the opposition). “Where doing everything that we can that is available to us to get him on the right track”. You might not have known it if you watched the game, though. He’s willing to do whatever to give us our best chance to win today. “Expect that to take place today”.
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“Anytime David’s name comes up, you think DH, and yet every game that we’ve seen him play first base he plays it freely, he plays it naturally”, Farrell said.
