"In that situation, that guy has gotten me out so many times," said Ramírez in a rare postgame interview. "But baseball's like that. Sometimes you get me, sometimes I get you."
And oh, did Manny get all of Rodriguez. He absolutely crushed the 1-and-0 pitch over the Wall, and he knew it immediately. As soon as the ball jumped off his bat, he dropped the lumber, raised his arms triumphantly, then stood for a moment to admire his handiwork.
After gleefully skipping around the bases, he threw off his helmet and welcomed the embrace of his teammates at home plate.
The titantic home run capped a grueling 4-hour-5-minute marathon and enabled the Red Sox to hit the road with an opportunity to sweep the battered Angels. It was a brutal way to lose a 6-3 ballgame, and the dramatic fashion in which Manny stole the spotlight bodes well for Boston's next outing. The strategy to eliminate Ortiz from the offensive equation backfired.
"That's why you have as many hitters as you can," said Sox manager Terry Francona, "so they can't pitch around people."
You wonder if Manny is motivated by such slights. He referred to himself twice as the best hitter in the game during his postgame chat, yet feigned indifference when asked if he felt extra incentive to make Scioscia pay for his perceived disrespect.
"It's just a little game he's playing," Ramírez shrugged. "But I try to be patient. Patience is the key, and confidence in myself. "
So, how did it feel to knock one out after such a long long-ball drought?
"It feels great," said a buoyant Ramírez. "It's been a long time since I've done something special like that. But I haven't been right all year long. When you don't feel good and still get hits, that's when you know you're a bad man."
