Manager Terry Francona met with two of his struggling players -- shortstop Julio Lugo and designated hitter David Ortiz -- before Monday night's first game against the Yankees.
The little pep talk appears to have done the trick for Ortiz, who collected two doubles, knocked in a run and took two walks out of his customary No. 3 spot in the lineup. "I've been standing there for five years patting (Ortiz) on the fanny, driving in all those runs and winning games," said Francona. "Now when he needs a little help, I don't want to be the one to abandon him. He's had a tough month and he acknowledged that, and he's frustrated and wants to do better.
"We need him. So now it is my turn to be there for him and help him and that's what I'll try to do. By being impatient or giving up on someone, is not the answer to what we're trying to do."
Just one day earlier, Ortiz had expressed a good deal of exasperation at critics making a big deal out of the sizable slump that greeted him out of the gate in 2009.
Ortiz ranks second behind only Albert Pujols for the most RBI since the 2003 season and ranks just behind Pujols in other important categories such as extra-base hits and go-ahead RBI. But Ortiz is still looking for his first home run of the 2009 season after playing in the first 26 games. He still doesn't quite look like himself.
The discussion with Francona clearly relaxed Ortiz, as Monday night's offensive performance would attest. But he won't be fully back until he regains his timing at the plate and again begins punishing pitchers trying to sneak fastballs past him.
RED SOX 6, YANKEES 4: LHP Jon Lester tied a career high with 10 strikeouts in seven dominant innings for the Sox and in doing so put together his best start of 2009. 3B Mike Lowell collected two hits -- including a solo homer -- and knocked in a pair, and OF Jason Bay smashed a two-run homer in the seventh that provided the Sox with needed insurance runs.
