David Ortiz hit a home run into the nightclub beyond the left field fence, the ball rolling to the base of a stage where two scantily clad dancers were performing. Â Nick Punto had two hits in the same inning as a pinch hitter and Felix Doubront flirted with a no-hitter.
But the strangest thing that may have happened to the Red Sox on Wednesday night was finding top-selling rapper Lil Wayne standing at the clubhouse door after the game to give everybody a high five.
Just another day at the circus as the Red Sox beat the Miami Marlins, 10-2.
“That’s how we roll,†said Ortiz, one of several players who had a photo taken with Wayne.
Wayne, who is shorter than even Dustin Pedroia, was surely impressed that the slumping Red Sox amassed 14 hits and scored their most runs since a 12-1 victory against Cleveland on May 13.
Or maybe it was seeing Doubront, a 24-year-old lefthander, strike out nine and go 5.2 innings before giving up his first hit.
“We needed that,†said Ortiz, who was 2 for 2 with a walk and three RBIs. “Our pitching has been stepping up and we’ve been facing some good pitching the past week. It’s crazy how that works. We’ve been working on that. We’ve been trying.â€
The Sox hit .216 over the previous nine games and scored 27 runs. An offense that has been among the game’s best all season despite a plague of injuries had grown cold.
But against Ricky Nolasco (6-5) and five relievers, the Sox built a 4-0 lead in the sixth inning then scored six runs in the eighth inning.
“It was a fun game for a lot of us,†shortstop Mike Aviles said.
Doubront (7-3) was coming off his worst start of the season, giving up six runs on eight hits in four innings against the Nationals on Friday. He followed that up with his best.
Doubront went seven innings, his career high, and allowed two runs on three hits. The nine strikeouts matched his best in a game.
“Felix Doubront was outstanding. He had all of his arsenal tonight,†Bobby Valentine said. “He had an explosive fastball. He threw his curveball for strikes early and late. He had a good change-up and a cutter. Boy, that’s good pitching. He was very good.â€
Doubront retired 17 of the first 18 batters he faced, the exception being a walk in the first inning issued to Donovan Solano. The no-hitter ended when Jose Reyes blasted a fastball well over the fence in left field with two outs in the sixth.
“I was feeling like something was going on. I was just enjoying it,†Doubront said. “The first thing I was thinking was to win and do a good job on the mound.â€
WRITTEN BYÂ Peter Abraham, Globe Staff & FULL STORY HERE
