Papi Palooza
Unlike Lollapalooza, Papi Palooza features current hits.
Sit back in your La-Z-Boy and soak in the rhythms of a leadoff double in the second: the swift pitter patter of David Ortiz’s distinctive running style punctuated by the clang of the ball off the left field wall. Jarrod Saltalamacchia contributed a verse with a ground ball single to left and Mike Aviles joined in at the chorus with a run-scoring fielder’s choice.
Then the sonic landscape expands with Ortiz’s double to the left-center gap in the fifth. The joyful staccato of the ball skipping to the wall is countered by Adrian Gonzalez’s lumbering bass beat. Again we have Ortiz’s signature cadence but it is abruptly, unexpectedly halted by his attempt to take third on the throw.
But Ortiz doesn’t leave eager ears unsatisfied. With gaudy fanfare he blasts a home run into the Monster seats, playing to a part of the field that he doesn’t usually indulge.
Even the fans in Bobby Valentine fake mustaches must have been swaying to the beat and holding lighters aloft. Play “Freebird”!
| Game 49: May 29, 2012 | ||
| Detroit Tigers 23-26 |
3 |
L: Justin Verlander (5-3) |
| 2B: Miguel Cabrera (10), Alex Avila (7) HR: Jhonny Peralta (4), Prince Fielder (8) | ||
 Boston Red Sox25-24 |
6 |
W: Daniel Bard (5-5) H: Rich Hill (5), Scott Atchison (2), Andrew Miller (5), Vicente Padilla (12) S: Alfredo Aceves (12) |
| 2B: David Ortiz – 2 (18), Daniel Nava (6), Scott Podsednik (1) HR: Ortiz (11) | ||
