Big Papi went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts in the defeat. He knocked in Boston’s only run, but he left another pair in scoring position. After the game, he departed the clubhouse before media arrived.
“What do we do with David Ortiz?’’ was the Boston sports topic du jour throughout the day and night. It was an official frenzy. The Ortiz Problem got more radio air time than Martha Coakley vs. Scott Brown. It was the water-cooler topic of the day. Regional Toyota dealers took up a collection and sent Big Papi a thank-you note that read, “Thanks for taking us off the hook. People are finally complaining about something else.’’
Terry Francona — loyal to his veterans the way Dick Cheney was to George W. Bush — spoke at length about the decision to keep Ortiz in the lineup before the rubber match of the series.
“Tonight would have been a good night to play [Mike] Lowell,’’ the manager acknowledged. “But it would have been a bad night not to play David. You can’t use two DHs.
“David’s had a lot of success against [Andy] Pettitte. We’re nine hours into this season and I want him to walk up there and feel comfortable. I don’t want David looking over his shoulder a game and a half into the season.
“Every day you have to continue to earn your stripes in this game. It doesn’t get easier. He’s done a lot of good things here and I think he thinks some people bailed on him last year. Being reactionary isn’t my job. My goodness, it’s the third game of the year. Yeah. Crazy.
“I know the numbers. David had 99 RBIs last year. If you didn’t play him against lefties, he wouldn’t have the numbers he had against righties. It’s a little deeper than what people are looking at.
“I don’t feel panic. I don’t wake up and run to the radio or the paper to see how I’m being perceived. This job is hard enough. Fans are not supposed to think logically all the time. There’s an old saying that if you manage like a fan, you’ll be a fan.’’
