You could see it in his eyes.
Once Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz smoked his 499th career home run in the first inning, a towering three-run shot to right off of Tampa Bay Rays starter Matt Moore (L, 1-4), there was no doubt that No. 500 was soon to come.
And it did.
Pitching to Ortiz to lead off the top of the fifth inning, Moore left a hanging breaking ball over the plate, which Big Papi deposited 428 feet into the right field bleachers at Tropicana Field, sending the seemingly pro-Red Sox crowd into a frenzy while kicking off a moment of euphoria for the fans watching on television in Boston.
As Ortiz rounded the bases with conviction while local play-by-play announcer Don Orsillo anointed him as the "greatest clutch hitter in Red Sox history," his teammates gathered to meet him just outside of the doorstep of the dugout.
Once Ortiz finished his 34th home run trot of the season and concluded his customary salute to the skies, a tremendous grin flashed across his face as he approached the waiting arms of his fellow Red Sox teammates, a smile flushed with pride and most likely, relief.
With the blast, which ushered Ortiz into the 500 home run club as the 27th member and the esteemed fraternity of one of just four players (Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson) to hit 500 bombs while winning three World Series.
Ortiz' blast gave Boston a commanding 8-0 lead in the contest, coming after back-to-back dingers by center fielder Mookie Betts and second baseman Dustin Pedroia to lead off the third inning. Pedroia also knocked a two-RBI double in the top of the fourth inning off of Moore, whom the Red Sox roughed up for eight runs (six earned) on ten hits in five innings, slamming four homers off of the left-hander.
Rejuvenated starter Rick Porcello (W, 8-12) pitched yet another stellar outing for Boston, allowing just three runs on five hits in seven innings of work, striking out eight. Porcello has lasted for at least seven innings in each of his four starts since coming off of the disabled list in late August.
Designated hitter John Jaso was able to touch Porcello with a two-run home run in the fifth inning to cut the Rays deficit to 8-2, however, after an Ortiz single off of Tampa Bay reliever C.J. Riefenhauser to lead off the seventh inning, Boston first baseman Travis Shaw smoked a 422-foot two-run dinger to center, increasing the Red Sox advantage to 10-2.
After former Red Sox right fielder Daniel Nava recorded a one-out single in the seventh inning, catcher Luke Maile knocked a two-out RBI double off of Porcello, decreasing the gap to 10-3. A solo shot by Rays third baseman Richie Shaffer in the eighth inning off of reliever Heath Hembree closed the difference to 10-4.
Ortiz finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored, Betts went 2-for-4 with three runs and an RBI, and Pedroia went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run for the Red Sox, who will trot out 35-year old left-hander Rich Hill for his first start in six seasons tomorrow afternoon against Tampa Bay's Drew Smyly (2-2, 3.59 ERA) in the rubber match of the series.