Ortiz, ‘Salty’ provide the perfect ending

BOSTON ? You certainly couldn?t blame Detroit manager Jim Leyland for bringing in closer Joaquin Benoit, and not lefty reliever Phil Coke, when David Ortiz came to bat in the eighth inning, with two out, the bases loaded, and Tigers leading by four runs.Ortiz certainly wasn?t surprised.?Playoff is playoff,” he said. “You?ve got to do what you?ve got to do. As a hitter, you?re more on your toes. Adrenaline is going all over the place.?There?s a reason he (Leyland) did what he did,” Ortiz said. “He (Benoit) has been doing good for them. When you need four outs, how many times do you see that? You see that all the time.”Ortiz was ready.?I know they?re not going to let me beat them with a fastball in that situation, plus I know ? Benoit has a good splitter. I take my chances in that situation.”All he wanted to do, as he said, “was put a good swing on the ball. If I told you I was thinking about grand slam, I?d be lying.”But that?s what happened. Ortiz, looking for offspeed, was able to pull a change up on a line toward the Red Sox bullpen. For a frightening moment (in his mind) Ortiz worried that Detroit right fielder Torii Hunter might catch it.?He always scares me,” Ortiz said. “Torii can chase balls out there. I wouldn?t be surprised if he got a Gold Glove this year.Hunter gave it a great try, but the ball went over his glove as he tumbled head over heels into the Red Sox bullpen.?I think what happened,” Ortiz said, “was that the ball went left and he went right.”In an instant, everything changed. The Red Sox, looking moribund, staged a rally worth of that Game 5 miracle in California all those many years ago, when they overcame a four-run deficit in the ninth inning of the 1986 ALCS to eventually win, 7-6. They ultimately won the American League pennant that year.What happened over the previous seven innings gave nobody cause to anticipate anything. Starter Max Scherzer came as advertised (he was 21-3 during the regular season), striking out 13 and giving up only two hits and a run through seven innings. But the Red Sox cuffed around three other Tiger relievers before Ortiz took Benoit deep.?If you?ve seen us, you know we play to the last out,” said manager John Farrell.?It?s incredible,” said catcher Jarrod Saltalalmacchia, about watching Ortiz up close and personal. “There?s no sense, on the bench, nobody?s really surprised when he does something like he does. But it?s unbelievable. You watch it on TV so many years.”After Koji Uehara got a 1-2-3 ninth, Jonny Gomes led off the inning against reliever Rick Porcello with an infield hit that Detroit shortstop Julio Iglesias turned into an error putting the runner on second with none out.This was Saltalamacchia?s turn to hit the spotlight. And he didn?t disappoint either.?At first, man on second, I was just trying to get him over,” he said. “I tried bunting against him earlier in the year, and that didn?t work out so well. I figured I?d go ahead and swing the bat.”On an 2-0 count, he did swing ? and popped a foul to the first base side that Prince Fielder almost caught.?I was hoping it would go (into the stands), but when I saw him getting close to the tarp, I thought was going to catch it. I think if you watched the replay I was fist pumping when he did drop it.”Porcello threw the next pitch low, wide, and out of the reach of catcher Alex Avila, allowing Gomes to go to third.?My approached changed after that,” Saltalamacchia said, “trying to hit the ball up the middle and taking (my) chances.”One pitch later, the game was over, as Saltalamacchia poked one through a drawn-in infield and into left field to knock home the winning run.