David Ortiz delivers on promise to hit home run for young Red Sox fan

7:45 PM ET

BOSTON — Not all of David Ortiz’s home runs are created equal. The 507th of his career, in the eighth inning Friday night, was extra special, but not for the reason you might think.

Yes, Ortiz’s two-run shot into the seats atop the Green Monster at Fenway Park provided the winning margin in the Boston Red Sox’s 4-2 victory over the archrival New York Yankees in the first meeting between the teams this season. More significant, it fulfilled a promise that the iconic Sox slugger made before the game to a 5-year-old fan who is coping with tetralogy of Fallot, a serious congenital heart defect.

As Ortiz tells it, former Red Sox teammate Kevin Millar told him about Maverick Schutte. Millar and Ortiz filmed a video before Friday night’s game that Millar sent to Maverick’s parents in which Ortiz said, “You take care, buddy. And I’m going to hit a home run for you tonight. Remember that. For you.”

Not only did David Ortiz’s home run on Friday night burn the Yankees, it fulfilled a promise he made earlier in the day to 5-year-old Maverick Schutte, who has a serious congenital heart defect. Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports

Sure enough, Ortiz belted a first-pitch curveball from Dellin Betances, his first hit in eight career at-bats against the dominant …

continue reading in source espn.go.com