Loretta Does His Best Ortiz Imitation

BOSTON —  The Boston Red Sox stunned the Cleveland Indians with another game-ending hit. And this time, David Ortiz didn’t do anything but watch from the on-deck circle.

Mark Loretta doubled with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning on Wednesday night and the Red Sox took advantage of a meltdown by reliever Fausto Carmona to beat the Indians, 6-5. It was Boston’s third last at-bat victory in five games.

“I didn’t think we’d be able to get to Ortiz. After two outs, I didn’t think I’d get up,” said Loretta, who also hit a game-ending home run on Patriots Day. “I think the fans realize now that anything’s possible.”

Cleveland led, 3-0, after one inning and 5-4 after eight, but Carmona couldn’t deliver the Indians their first save since closer Bob Wickman was traded to Atlanta on July 20. He struck out the first two batters of the ninth before hitting Doug Mirabelli and Alex Gonzalez on consecutive pitches, then walking Kevin Youkilis on a 3-2 pitch that wasn’t close.

Loretta then looped one off the wall to end it.

“He did a real good job against those first two hitters,” Indians Manager Eric Wedge said, adding he would stick with Carmona as the closer. “Then he just looked like he got in a hurry to get the third out instead of trying not to do too much. ... It just kind of dominoed from there.”