Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz may not have quite gotten the finish he was looking for, but he did manage to tie former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter for fourth place on the all-time playoff RBI list at 61, per ESPN Stats & Info.
With the Red Sox down 2-0 in the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians and facing elimination Monday night at Fenway Park, the 40-year-old Ortiz came up to the plate with one out and runners on second and third base in the bottom of the sixth inning.
With his team already trailing 4-1 in the game, Ortiz hit a rocket to straightaway center field, but it was fielded without much incident by Indians outfielder Rajai Davis.
Although he couldn’t come through with the big hit, Ortiz’s line shot turned into a sacrifice fly, driving in second baseman Dustin Pedroia to narrow the lead to 4-2.
Ortiz later drew a walk that helped the Red Sox score a run in the eighth inning, but the team ultimately came up just one run short, losing 4-3 in heartbreaking fashion.
Assuming he keeps with his retirement intentions, Ortiz will finish his career trailing only Bernie Williams (80 RBI), former teammate Manny Ramirez (78) and David Justice (68) on the all-time playoff RBI list.
Each of those players had at least 100 more playoff plate appearances than Ortiz, further demonstrating why he is widely viewed as one of the greatest clutch hitters in MLB history.
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