Jays nip Red Sox, forge tie for WC lead

Facing elimination against the rival Yankees in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series at Fenway, Ortiz belted a 2-1 pitch from right-hander Paul Qauntrill into the Yankees’ bullpen for a two-run, walkoff homer in the 12th inning, giving the Red Sox a 6-4 victory and keeping their season alive. During JBJ’s at-bat, Osuna was charged with a balk and Betts scored to tie the game at three, the run given to Grilli.

Toronto will play Baltimore in the AL wild-card game Tuesday night. “And it was in my hands”.

With his image mowed into the grass in center for the final regular-season series of his career, Ortiz was honored in a pregame ceremony and responded with an RBI single in the first.

The Blue Jays had a muted celebration on the field, then popped champagne in the visitor’s clubhouse at Fenway Park. “What he’s done with his foundation and really lifting the city up following the Marathon bombing, everyone climbed on his back and he just got the city back on track”. “But that was fun out there”.

If Detroit loses, Toronto advances to Wednesday wild-card game.

The Red Sox will start their AL Division Series against the Indians on Thursday in Cleveland. Said Gomes: “If this guy wants to rally us together for a pep talk, it was like 24 kindergartners looking up at their teacher”.

The cheers really went insane way back in Game Four of the 2004 ALCS, when Dave Roberts stole the base and Bill Mueller tied the game off Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning – and Ortiz finally won it with a home run in the 12th. Sanchez hung a second-pitch curveball and Ramirez blasted it over the left-field foul pole.

Osuna said before the game that he’d be prepared to pitch multiple innings if needed, not that that was plan A for the Blue Jays.

Brad Ziegler pitched the eighth inning of a 1-1 ballgame and surrendered a walk and three singles as the Jays took a 2-1 lead. Happ allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings and also walked five. Ted Williams may be the best player to ever wear the uniform, but in many ways the greatest is David Ortiz.

Devon Travis had three hits, including a pair of doubles, and Jose Bautista homered for Toronto. But we all know, and we’ve all seen it again and again, that Big Papi plays his best baseball this time of year. The Red Sox responded with three runs that inning, won the game and the next two to capture the title, his third with the club. “I was hungry and I wanted to show the team that I was confident”.

When the Jays rested Sanchez for the second extended break to manage his inning count in early September, they re-inserted him into the rotation for the final day of the season. Farrell said 22-game victor Rick Porcello will start Game 1.

With Pomeranz out of the rotation, and Steven Wright still on the mend, that only leaves Clay Buchholz and Eduardo Rodriguez for Games 3 and 4.

Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice joined the Red Sox ownership team of John Henry and Tom Werner as the announcement was made Sunday afternoon over the public address system.

The ceremony before the Red Sox played Toronto also featured former patients at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, who Ortiz helped through his work for the Jimmy Fund.

Ortiz dropped to one knee and tipped his cap to the crowd.