Ortiz has swinging good time

(Steven Senne / AP) Boston Red Sox's David Ortiz, right, follows through on a three-run home run off Texas Rangers' Tommy Hunter as Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia watches.

David Ortiz didn't stick around last night to sweep up. He had done his job - knocking in three runs with his 17th home run of the season to put the punch in the Red Sox' nine-run second inning - and when manager Terry Francona sent in Sean Casey to pinch hit for him in the eighth, Ortiz showered and left the park. Nothing left to do.

The Red Sox embarrassed the Texas Rangers, 10-0, last night at Fenway, completing a three-game sweep - well, really more of a thorough vacuuming - with devastating force. In three days, the Sox outscored the Rangers, 37-21, and Ortiz hit a pair of three-run homers in the first, wanton 19-17 victory, then added another last night.

Ortiz's batting average against the Rangers is as big as Texas. He has 20 RBIs in seven games against the Rangers this season, all victories. In this series, he was 5 for 10 with 3 homers, 1 double, 9 RBIs, and 7 runs scored. He is batting .462 against Texas this season. What's there to chat about?

The 20 RBIs represent the highest total by a Red Sox player against the Rangers in a season. Only Tony Conigliaro has posted more RBIs for the Sox in a season against the Texas/Washington franchise, with 22 over 18 games against the Senators in 1970.

"That was a great series," said Casey. "Thank God we won that first one, right?"

It was only 11 days ago that Ortiz said he felt a clicking in his left wrist in a ninth-inning at-bat in Kansas City, Mo. Ortiz missed 45 games earlier in the season with a partial tear of the tendon sheath in his wrist, returning July 25, so even a little click worried him. He played the next day against the Royals, and for the first three games of a four-game series in Chicago, but sat out the final game against the White Sox, and thus the worry spread quickly.

It wasn't only the clicking. After Manny Ramírez's trade to the Dodgers July 31, Ortiz went 1 for 15 in the next four games, and 6 for 36 in his next nine. Without Ramírez hitting behind him, Ortiz seemed vulnerable.

"I think [the day off] helped him," said hitting coach Dave Magadan. "I think he was a little concerned with the way he was feeling. That's such an important part of your body for a hitter. I think he wants to be careful with it and not really get to a point where he's going to miss a long period of time. It was probably smart on his part and smart on [Francona's] part to give him that day to ease his mind and rest a bit, and both mentally and physically he's felt better."

Francona said an occasional day of rest will help Ortiz. "We may have to do that from time to time, that's just the reality of what has happened," Francona said. "That's not the end of the world. If we can't sit him every 10 days or so, then we're probably not good enough. He's swinging the bat very aggressively and he feels good. If we have to do it next week or whenever, I have no problem with that."

Ortiz was back to being Big Papi in the Sox' wild win Tuesday. Kevin Youkilis batted cleanup, where he has been since the series with the Royals, and he is matching Ramírez's power and clutch hitting. Ortiz got his two homers in the first, but it was Youkilis (7 for 13 in the Texas series, with 4 doubles, 2 home runs, and 7 RBIs) who came through with the winning homer, a three-run shot in the ninth. When Youkilis crossed the plate, a happy Ortiz was there to greet him.

"It's probably more important who gets on in front of David than who's hitting behind him," Magadan said. "If there's guys on base, they're going to pitch to him. Obviously, if there's a base open, they're probably going to be more careful with him. It doesn't hurt having Youk hitting behind him, doing what he's doing, and [Dustin Pedroia] and J.D. [Drew] getting on in front of him is also a huge help."

Barbara Matson can be reached at matson@globe.com.