Ortiz starting to look like his old self
Sunday’s homer fifth in 14 games
With swirling winds, mist, and the heavy air, even David Ortiz doubted he could hit a ball out of Fenway Park Sunday against the Braves. But after depositing a Jair Jurrjens pitch into the Monster Seats, teammates say the Red Sox designated hitter is starting to look more like himself.
“I think the start was, you get behind the 8-ball so bad that it’s going to take an amazing run to get to where he wants to be numbers-wise,’’ Jason Bay said Sunday. “But over the last couple weeks to us he’s that guy that we thought he was at the beginning of the year. He’s that guy that no one’s going to pitch around guys to get to him. None of that stuff.
“Like I said, it’s always going to be tough for him because of the numbers. But as far as the look goes, and you can even tell by his demeanor, he’s the same guy.’’
When Ortiz was asked if he is back, he laughed and playfully mocked a reporter about how often he has been asked that question this season. He made it clear it was all in fun, with a smile and a grasp of the reporter’s arm. That was a far cry from a disconsolate Ortiz who, after going 0 for 7 in a game earlier this season against the Angels in which he stranded 12 runners, said, “Just put down, ‘Papi stinks.’ ’’
That hasn’t been the case in June.
Sunday’s homer was his fifth in 14 games, a span in which he is hitting .326 (14 for 43) with nine RBIs. The June surge has pushed Ortiz’s average to .213.
Ortiz has been counseled to forget the past and to concentrate on what he can do to help the Sox. His resurgence has lessened the team’s once desperate need to acquire another bat before the trading deadline. And although he still might “get a little leak in that swing,’’ manager Terry Francona said, Ortiz is able to get himself righted quickly.
“I think he’s just fine,’’ Francona said. “It’s just going to take him awhile for his batting average to [go up], and that’s not the end-all. If he ends up being David for the next three or four months, you’ll look back at April and May and we’ll all say, well, it was a blip on the radar.
“But he’s back to being that big threat. You make a mistake, he can hit it a long way. That’s very welcome for us.’’
“He’s been terrific, whether it’s been as a starter or a reliever,’’ Francona said.
“His velocity seems to go up out of the bullpen in shorter stints. He gives us a lot of flexibility. In a game [Friday night] that has a chance to be ugly, he’s up in the first inning. You don’t see a lot of guys that can do that that have the ability to pitch the 12th also, or the ninth. [He’s] kind of a rare young pitcher.’’
Also signing were outfielders Seth Schwindenhammer (fifth round) and Willie Holmes (14th); lefthander Michael Bugary (15th); righthanders Tom Ebert (19th), Jordan Flasher (22d), Chris Court (23d), Jeremiah Bayer (30th), and Kyle Rutter (41st); second baseman Jordan Sallis (47th); and first baseman Drew Hedman (50th). The Red Sox selected 50 players in the first-year player draft earlier this month.
Amalie Benjamin can be reached at abenjamin@globe.com. 
