Arctic Expedition
Cody Ross and Darnell McDonald both donned balaclavas last night, looking more like Robert Peary trekking northwards than ballplayers. Dominican-born David Ortiz eschewed such frippery. The cold did nothing to Ortiz’s bat; the designated hitter launched the ball into the stands in the second to give his team a 2-1 lead.
The Southsiders tied the game in the bottom of third thanks to the opposition’s miscues. Alexei Ramirez reached on a throwing error by Kevin Youkilis. McDonald made a run at Paul Konerko’s wind-affected fly ball to shallow left but it dropped for a single. Ramirez advanced on A.J. Pierzynski’s fielder’s choice to Adrian Gonzalez and then scored when Kelly Shoppach couldn’t come up with a pitch to Alex Rios that deflected off his mitt.
Konerko broke the 2-2 tie in the fifth with his 401st career home run, but the Red Sox notched five runs in the following frame. Setting the stage, Gonzalez and Youkilis walked and Ortiz singled to load the bases.
Ross, still looking like James Clark Ross, singled to knot the game 3-3. Fellow explorer McDonald lined a shot down the left field line that reached the wall and was deadened by a ricochet off the padded wall. Dayan Viciedo thought the ball was going to bounce right back to him, so the extra time it took pursue the ball allowed three runs to score. Marlon Byrd capped off the scoring binge with an RBI single to center.
With the Red Sox on the road Fenway Park played host to an auction of Ted Williams memorabilia. Drew Brees counts Williams as one of his heroes and participated via phone, winning log books and other World War II items that he will donate to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.
| Game 19: April 27, 2012 | ||
 Boston Red Sox9-10 |
10 |
W: Daniel Bard (2-2) |
| 2B: Darnell McDonald (3) HR: David Ortiz (4), McDonald (1) | ||
| Chicago White Sox 10-10 |
3 |
L: John Danks (2-3) |
| 2B: Alejandro De Aza (6), A.J. Pierzynski (2) HR: Paul Konerko (5) | ||
