Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

David Ortiz connected on a big swing early, then missed with a flurry of late ones.

Big Papi hit a three-run homer as the Boston Red Sox scored eight times in the first inning of a 10-3 win over Baltimore on Friday night. In the eighth, he whiffed on a few punches during a bench-clearing brawl with Orioles reliever Kevin Gregg.

Ortiz and Gregg exchanged several wild punches, both coming close but not quite connecting in what could have turned into an even uglier scene as the benches and bullpens cleared for the second time in the inning.

“I think you show them that we’re not backing down. We’re not scared of them — them and their $180 million payroll,” said Gregg, who angered Ortiz with back-to-back inside pitches. “We don’t care. We’re here to play the game. We have just as much right to play the game here and we’re going to do everything we can to win.”

Gregg said he yelled at Ortiz for not running toward first on a popout, which apparently enraged Ortiz. Gregg, whose team was about to lose its fifth straight in another blowout, was ready when Big Papi charged.

“I was actually watching the ball and then you look down and there’s two humongous guys going at it,” Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia. “In that situation you just try to support your teammates and you try to break it up. That’s pretty much it.”

Plate umpire Mike Estabrook immediately ejected Gregg when he started shouting — and Ortiz quickly changed course, charging toward the mound. Gregg and Ortiz each threw a few haymakers, but the heavyweight bout was swallowed up by the mass of players rushing onto the field.

FULL STORY AT ESPN