Hanley Ramirez's homer nearly led to a perfect recreation of David Ortiz's 2013 ALCS slam
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The bullpen arrangement at Fenway Park allows for some quirky incidents that can't quite be replicated in other ballparks.
Specifically, outfielders spilling over the fence with ease when pursuing fly balls. We've seen that happen in particularly dramatic circumstances, but Wednesday's had an added sense of amusement considering other elements that also took place at the same time.
Early in the Red Sox's eventual 11-7 win over the Giants, Hanley Ramirez connected on a Matt Cain pitch and sent the ball deep into right-center. That put in play an amazing convergence of visuals that make up a perfect Fenway moment.
First, right fielder Mac Williamson continued his pursuit of the ball, only to hit the wall and tumble over into the bullpen. Then, Sox reliever Robbie Ross Jr. caught the homer with his cap (something he's already done on more than one occasion this season). For the trifecta, the cop manning the bullpen raised both fists in celebration:
There you have it, a signature Fenway sequence, more or less recreating the now-iconic scene from the 2013 ALCS, with Ramirez and Williamson playing the roles previously held by David Ortiz and Torii Hunter. Bullpen cop Steven Horgan, amazingly, played himself in the sequel.
And to make Ramirez's night even more magical, he cracked another two-run homer his next trip to the plate ... giving him two on the night:
After getting hit by a pitch in his third at-bat, Hanley told pitcher Albert Suárez, "I'll get you back." The next time up? He did just that, clubbing his third homer of the night.
It was the first time in his career that Ramirez hit three homers in one game. That's a good day at the office.
When you're hot, you're hot.