With the score tied heading into the sixth inning and the Boston Red Sox trailing the St. Louis Cardinals two games to one in the World Series, David Ortiz decided he needed to do more than hit Sunday night.
He had to say something.
Ortiz, as FOX cameras showed briefly, gathered up his cronies and delivered an impassioned speech.
What he said remains mostly a mystery, but the move worked.
Boston put two runners on base — including Ortiz — with two outs in the sixth inning before outfielder Jonny Gomes unloaded on a pitch for a three-run home run to give the Red Sox a 4-1 lead.
They withstood a late Cardinals rally to win 4-2 and even the series heading into Monday night’s game.
Coincidence? Maybe.
But when Ortiz is involved in something magical during the postseason, I have learned to not even consider doubting the man for a second.
He has been the heart and soul of the Red Sox for more than 10 years.
“Any time this guy puts on a uniform, there’s a presence,” Gomes told reporters after the game.
“If this guy wants to rally us together for a pep talk, it was like 24 kindergartners looking up at their teacher. He got everyone’s attention, and we looked him right in the eyes. That message was pretty powerful.
“Whatever comes out of his mouth is going to be meaningful, priceless and probably something you don’t know. He had everyone’s attention pretty quick. And he gave us the kick in the butt that we needed.”
A quick Red Sox history lesson — or watching Fever Pitch — tells you Boston won a World Series in 1918 before selling Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees and waiting 86 years for another.
If not for Ortiz, it’s likely we would all still be waiting and talking about the Curse of the Bambino instead of having already celebrated two championships in the past nine seasons.
In 2004, Ortiz carried Boston back from the dead — a 3-0 series deficit against the vaunted Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
He hit a walk-off home run in the 12th inning to win Game 4, and only hours later, singled home the winning run in the 14th inning to take Game 5.
Two wins later, and the Red Sox became the first MLB team to ever overcome a 3-0 postseason series deficit.
Even sweeter was the fact it was against the Yankees.
Nine years later and Ortiz’s postseason magic has not stopped.
In this year’s ALCS, Boston appeared to be headed toward an 0-2 hole, which would have been a killer considering the Detroit Tigers had ace Justin Verlander waiting on the mound for Game 3 in Detroit.
But with Boston trailing 5-1 in the eighth inning of Game 2, Ortiz smacked a grand slam into the bullpen — just past the outstretched glove of Tigers right fielder Torii Hunter, who flipped over the fence — to tie the game.
An inning later, the Red Sox capped a dramatic comeback with a walkoff single, and the series was finished in six games.
Boston now leads the World Series three games to one after a 3-1 victory in St. Louis last night.
It’s no surprise that Ortiz had three hits and an RBI to lead the way and is now hitting .733 in the series.
Although St. Louis could win the next two to claim the title, it’s not going to happen.
Not when you have awesome beards. Not when you have Boston Strong. Not when you have Big Papi.
Follow Phillip Heilman on Twitter @phillip_heilman.
Boston Red Sox first baseman David Ortiz celebrates Jonny Gomes’ three-run home run off Seth Maness during Game 4 of the World Series on Sunday in St. Louis.
