Prayer of the Week: Papi HRs, child honored

BOSTON — David Ortiz’s go-ahead home run that led to the Red Sox beating the Yankees on Friday night seemed big enough in the scope of a baseball game. But it turned out to have so much more meaning, particularly to a 5-year-old boy in Wyoming named Maverick Schutte.

Before the game, Kevin Millar, who was in town for MLB Network, made his former teammate aware of Maverick, a baseball enthusiast who has a congenital heart defect.

Together, Ortiz and Millar produced a video prior to Friday night’s game which was quickly sent to Maverick.

• Papi homers again Saturday as Red Sox rout Yankees

“Hopefully you’re doing great. Stay positive,” Ortiz told the boy. “Big Papi right here with my boy Kevin. Remember that. We love you.”

Then, Ortiz in a completely unscripted way, closed it out in poignant fashion.

“Always stay positive. Keep the faith. You take care, buddy, and I’m going to hit a homer for you tonight,” said Ortiz, as he pointed emphatically into the camera. “Remember that. For you.”

This is the video me and @davidortiz sent our little buddy Maverick before Red Sox game tonight…. pic.twitter.com/kVTqSoe8OV

— Kevin Millar (@KMillar15) April 30, 2016

This is the video me and @davidortiz sent our little buddy Maverick before Red Sox game tonight…. pic.twitter.com/kVTqSoe8OV

Once the game started, Ortiz got caught up in the task at hand and was simply trying to figure out how to hit Masahiro Tanaka and Dellin Betances.

With the game tied at 2 in the eighth, Ortiz stepped to the plate against Betances, who he was 0-for-7 lifetime against and smashed a two-run homer on a first-pitch curveball. The ball …

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