Slump? What slump? David Ortiz watches the flight of his third-inning grand slam settle into the monster seats in left center last night.

>

The Providence Journal / Glenn Osmundson

BOSTON — David Ortiz is back acting like Big Papi again, which means the outlook is bright in Red Sox Nation once more.

While the Sox are off to a solid start, good enough to be back in first place in the American League East, there was still some discomfort in the nation. The team had not yet begun to hit on all cylinders. The most powerful cylinder of all, Ortiz, had not yet kicked into gear.

The engine started roaring last night.

Ortiz clouted a grand slam into the first row of the monster seats in left-center in the third inning, getting the Sox rolling on their way to an 11-3 triumph over Texas. The Sox were happy to see any type of Ortiz hit, but the fact that the homer went to left-center made manager Terry Francona, for one, even happier.

“You’ve heard me say it a million times,” Francona said. “When you see guys drive the ball to the opposite field, that’s good.”

Ortiz, who carried a .109 average to the plate before his slam, then hit the ball hard two more times, lining out to left and then ripping another hard liner into right-center for an RBI single in his final at-bat.

“I’m sure that he’s going to feel good and obviously we do,” Francona said.

Ortiz reported that he has been feeling better ever since he was given a day off Sunday while the Yankees were in town.

“The past few days, since I came back after the day off, I’ve been getting that feeling,” he said. “Using my hands, working on my mechanics.”

Among other things, he has gotten his body lower and begun using his legs more, he said.

His teammates showed an unusual way to celebrate his slam, his seventh in Fenway, which ties him for the all-time record in that department with Ted Williams and Jim Rice. They gave him the silent treatment when he returned to the dugout. Then after several seconds, they all mobbed him, pounding him hard.

“My teammates are the best,” Ortiz said. “They were so happy to see me coming through and the fans have been great, too.”

The Ortiz slam was set up by excellent work by Boston’s kiddie corps.

Luis Mendoza, the Texas pitcher who was making only his second big-league start, retired the first eight batters he faced. No one got the ball out of the infield.

Then it all unraveled. Boston’s young players got it started. Jed Lowrie, starting at short in place of Julio Lugo (just a night off for Lugo) lined an opposite-field double just inside the line in left. Mendoza, a former Boston farmhand, walked Jacoby Ellsbury. Then he walked Dustin Pedroia, too, to load the bases.

Pitching coach Mark Connor came out to talk to Mendoza. After two straight walks, Mendoza obviously had to get the ball over the plate. His first pitch was a 91-mph fastball.

Ortiz, who had only one extra-base hit all season to that point, a home run in Oakland, did not miss it.

“David was waiting for a fastball,” said Texas manager Ron Washington. “He wasn’t supposed to get it where he got it.”

The beautiful night turned out to be fun all around for the Sox. Daisuke Matsuzaka won again, running his record to 4-0, with 5 1/3 innings, although his struggles with the pitch count limited his time. Dustin Pedroia hit his first home run, all nine Sox starters reached base and seven different Boston players scored runs. Pedroia hit a two-run homer as Boston scored five more times in the forth to build its lead to 9-1 and the Sox were able to coast home from there.

Matsuzaka allowed only one run and three hits in the first four innings, but, as is his habit, threw a lot of pitches to get outs. He had 81 in the four innings. He had a strong fifth but was removed in the sixth after giving up a double to Milton Bradley and a home run into the Boston bullpen by Hank Blalock.

With the Sox bullpen well rested after Josh Beckett’s eight-inning effort in New York on Thursday night, Javy Lopez, David Aarsdma and Mike Timlin finished up.Red Sox

11

Rangers

3

Next Game

Tonight

vs. Rangers,

7 p.m.

pkenyon@projo.com