Ten Years Gone David Ortiz Walks Off Against The Angels In 2004 Alds

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 12:46 PM

ten years gone david ortiz walks off against the angels in 2004 alds

Over twelve seasons in Boston, David Ortiz has compiled a resume of walk-off heroics unmatched in the game. The burly designated hitter has been so clutch that you expect him to come through, his list of big hits so long (he’s the all-time franchise leader in walk-off homers by a wide margin)... The stages have been varied: from special deliveries in the midst of pennant races to iconic October moments that rate among Red Sox fans’ most unbelievable memories. In the autumn of 2004, Ortiz set about building his legend. Ground was broken in Game Three of the 2004 ALDS against the Anaheim Angels. The Schilling-Pedro combo had lived up to expectations in the first two contests, giving the Red Sox a 2-0 series lead over their AL West foes.

Game Three got underway on a Friday in the yellow glow of the late afternoon at Fenway Park with Bronson Arroyo on the mound, but this one wouldn’t conclude until long after the Fenway... The Sox pounded Anaheim starter Kelvim Escobar for five runs and had a comfortable 6-1 lead in the seventh. And that’s when things unraveled. David Ortiz hits a walk-off homer to win the 2004 ALDS for the Red Sox ON THIS DATE (October 8, 2004) ... In a blast that may be remembered by the first generation of New Englanders in the 21st century as famously as a previous generation recalls Carlton Fisk�s momentous shot in Game 6 of the...

After blowing a 6-1 lead in the seventh inning, the Sox flashed their signature resilience to ice their second consecutive trip to the ALCS for the first time since the format began in 1969. The sweep was only their second in 20 postseason series since 1903. The victory allowed the Sox to celebrate clinching their first playoff series at Fenway Park since the 1986 league championship series. But to stage their latest feat, they needed to overcome blowing the largest lead (five runs) by a home team in postseason history. The worm turned on them this time after Bronson Arroyo departed leading, 6-1, with none out and a runner on first in the seventh after a sensational start. On came Mike Myers, who did the Sox no favors by walking the only batter he faced, pinch hitter Jose Molina, to put runners at first and second.

Then came Mike Timlin, who promptly retired Curtis Pride for the first out before David Eckstein flared an opposite-field single to right, loading the bases. Timlin responded by throwing three straight strikes past Chone Figgins. Then he got ahead in the count, 0-and-2, against Darin Erstad before he ultimately lost a seven-pitch showdown to force in a run, making it 6-2. Still, the champagne chilled. But after Timlin fired a 91-mile-per-hour fastball for a strike on his first pitch to Vladimir Guerrero, he tried to improve his position by coming back with a 92-m.p.h. heater over the heart of the plate.

Bad choice. Guerrero got a bead on it and blasted it into the Sox pen for the tying slam. The devastating shot spoiled a memorable outing by Arroyo, who had surrendered only two runs on three hits and a pair of walks until he handed off to the pen. Johnny Damon and Ortiz helped them wash away the sour aftertaste in the 10th. After Damon singled leading off, he was erased at second on Mark Bellhorn�s aborted sacrifice. Then Ortiz worked his magic, knocking in Pokey Reese, who ran for Bellhorn.

The Red Sox had one win in the books, with their extra-inning Game Four win over the Yankees. They weren’t going to be swept in four games. They had fresh energy and a new lease on life, if only for one more day. And they had Pedro Martínez ready to start. And many of them had bought into Kevin Millar’s mantra before Game Four: “Don’t Let Us Win Tonight.” Bill Mueller said, “Coming right back for Game 5 was an advantage for us.

There was no stoppage. The games were running late, and then you turn right back around and do it again. I think that was a plus. You step out for two days and then come back in, some of that momentum could be squandered. Instead, it stayed at the ballpark. … It kept going in our direction.”1

Pedro Martinez was no lock against the Yankees. He had 31 starts against them in his career and the team was 11-20 in those starts. In 2004 he was 1-3 with a 5.29 ERA combining the regular season and postseason. He struck out leadoff batter Derek Jeter on three pitches. He walked Álex Rodríguez, then struck out Gary Sheffield and got Hideki Matsui to fly out to center. Mike Mussina started for the Yankees, and the Red Sox got to him for two runs in the bottom of the first.

Three singles in succession, the third one an RBI single by David Ortiz, produced the first run. A bases-loaded walk to Jason Varitek (batting right-handed against a right-handed pitcher for only the second time in his entire major-league career; he’d been 4-for-49 — .082 — against Mussina) produced the second. BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 19: David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox in action against the Detroit Tigers during Game Six of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park on October 19,... (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) David Ortiz, affectionately known as "Big Papi," etched his legacy into the Boston Red Sox history books with a blend of skill, clutch performances, and unforgettable moments that have forever endeared him to Red... BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 19: David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox in action against the Detroit Tigers during Game Six of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park on October 19,...

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) Arriving in Boston in 2003, Ortiz's journey started with a modest batting average of .198 that season. However, it was his pinch-hit home run, using a borrowed bat from teammate Damian Jackson, that showcased his potential and foreshadowed the incredible moments that lay ahead. Reflecting on that moment, Ortiz expressed his hope for more such hits in the future. While the 2003 season might not have ended in championship glory for the Red Sox, Ortiz's impact was undeniable. His pivotal hit during the ALDS Game 4 against the Oakland A's, which helped stave off elimination, highlighted his knack for stepping up in crucial situations.

This is an accepted version of this page David Américo Ortiz Arias (born November 18, 1975), nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican-American former professional baseball designated hitter who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2016, primarily for the... After playing parts of six seasons with the Minnesota Twins, Ortiz moved to the Red Sox, where he played a leading role in ending the team's 86-year World Series championship drought in 2004, as... In his first five seasons with the club, he averaged 41 home runs and 128 runs batted in (RBIs), leading the American League (AL) twice in the latter category and setting the team's single-season... Used almost exclusively as a DH during his 14 seasons with the Red Sox, he was a ten-time All-Star and a seven-time Silver Slugger winner, and became regarded as one of the greatest designated... He posted ten seasons each with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs, and batted .300 or better seven times.

After a drop in his offensive numbers from 2008 to 2012, he enjoyed a strong resurgence in his last four seasons, and had one of his best years in his final campaign, leading the... Upon his retirement, Ortiz ranked sixth in AL history with 541 home runs, fifth in doubles (632) and ninth in RBIs (1,768). Regarded as one of the greatest clutch hitters of all time,[2] he had 11 career walk-off home runs during the regular season and two during the 2004 postseason, the first of which clinched the... In 2022, Ortiz was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. David Américo Ortiz Arias was born on November 18, 1975, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as the oldest of four children of Enrique (Leo) Ortiz and Ángela Rosa Arias. As a boy, he followed the careers of standout pitcher Ramón Martinez and his younger brother Pedro, attending games whenever he could and building a friendship with Pedro that would only grow over the...

The 2004 postseason was a magical run for the Boston Red Sox. We all remember how it ended with the reversal of an 86-year old curse and a championship parade. The historic comeback against the Yankees in the ALCS will forever be ingrained in our memories. None of that would have been possible without escaping the first round of the playoffs and the heroic efforts in that series often go overlooked when we reflect on that remarkable season. Boston took care of business in the first two games of the American League Division Series on the road, outscoring the Anaheim Angels 17-6 to put their opponent on the brink of elimination as... David Ortiz was having a fairly quiet series to that point.

While the lineup around him exploded in the first two games, Big Papi was 2-for-5 without an extra-base hit and only one RBI. He also walked five times, including three intentional walks, as the Angels clearly had a strategy to pitch around the Red Sox designated hitter. That plan unraveled in Game 3 when Ortiz broke out with a four-hit performance, including the most important hit of the series. Ortiz doubled and scored in the third and added an RBI double the following inning as the Red Sox opened a 5-1 lead. Manny Ramirez extended the lead with a base hit to drive in another run but the chance to do any further damage was thwarted when Ortiz struck out to end the inning with runners...

Ten Years Gone David Ortiz Walks Off Against The Angels In 2004 Alds

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