And with Boston trailing by a run, the struggling slugger stayed on the bench as Ichiro Suzuki's first two-home run game since 2005 rallied the Seattle Mariners from four runs down to a 5-4 victory over the Red Sox on Friday night.
Seattle won for just the second time in 11 games thanks to more wizardry from Suzuki, an eight-time All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder.
"A pretty special player," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu deadpanned.
Suzuki, a singles machine and owner of the modern major-league record with eight consecutive 200-hit seasons, had his first two-homer game in four years on the same night the Red Sox benched David Ortiz, a five-time All-Star slugger who is batting .208 with no homers in 158 plate appearances this season.
"It shows that, really, two mysterious things happened in the universe today," Suzuki said through his interpreter, looking up with a sly grin while fanning himself at his locker.
Ortiz was benched indefinitely a day after he went 0-for-7 and stranded 12 base runners in an extra-inning loss at the Los Angeles Angels. Ortiz has gone 144 at-bats since his last home run on Sept. 22.
Though available as a pinch hitter, Francona kept Ortiz in the dugout, one at-bat shy of matching the longest dry spell for homers in his career. Before the game, Francona said, "If staying away from his bat helps, good."
Chris Jakubauskas (2-4) survived allowing four runs -three earned - and nine base runners in the first three innings to last six innings for Seattle. The 29-year-old former shoe salesman gave up seven hits for his first career win as a starter
- on his sixth try.
David Aardsma, discarded by Boston in a trade after last season, allowed a two-out single in the ninth to J.D. Drew, who had three hits replacing Ortiz as Boston's No. 3 hitter. But Jason Bay flied out at the left-field wall while Aardsma pumped his fist over his fourth save in four chances. "Sitting down in the bullpen in the fourth inning my heart was just racing," Aardsma said, still excited. "It was Boston! Going out there against them, all the guys I know, adds a little bit."
Jacoby Ellsbury doubled, tripled and beat out an infield chop for a single in his first three at-bats while the Red Sox built a 4-0 lead. Yet they lost their third straight on their final West Coast swing of the season.
Rocco Baldelli struck out three times while replacing Ortiz as the designated hitter.
Yankees 5, Twins 4
Melky Cabrera capped a three-run rally in the ninth inning with a two-run single and New York stopped a five-game home losing streak.
Justin Morneau hit two solo homers and Joe Mauer had one as the Twins built a 4-1 lead, but Joe Nathan (1-1) couldn't hold a two-run lead in the ninth.
Alex Rodriguez, playing at home for the first time this season, was 0 for 1 with a strikeout and four walks.
Brett Gardner began the comeback in the seventh with the first inside-the-park homer at the $1.5 billion ballpark.
Blue Jays 8, White Sox 3
Aaron Hill hit a two-run homer and rookie Brett Cecil won his second straight start for host Toronto.
Cecil (2-0) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings. Jesse Carlson got six outs and B.J. Ryan finished in his first appearance since being activated off the disabled list a day earlier.
Hill went 3 for 4 with two RBIs for his 18th multihit game this season, raising his average to .347.
John Danks (2-3), winless since April 22, allowed seven runs and nine hits in three innings.
