Ortiz's latest heroics leave Red Sox in awe

Amid the euphoria that gripped Fenway Park on Saturday - where departing Red Sox icon David Ortiz notched the 20th walk-off hit of his storied tenure in Boston to seal a come-from-behind, 6-5 victory over the Houston Astros in 11 innings - Jackie Bradley Jr. was a bit puzzled.

With a base open, Bradley wondered, why on earth would the Astros pitch to Papi, the hottest hitter on the planet who boasts a legacy built around delivering when it matters most?

"I don't care if David is 100 years old, he's not gonna beat me," Bradley told MLB.com of the Astros' decision to go after Ortiz. "I'm not gonna let him beat me."

Obviously, Astros manager A.J. Hinch felt differently, allowing right-hander Michael Feliz to go after Boston's beloved 40-year-old with two outs in the bottom of the 11th and Xander Bogaerts on second, representing the winning run. Moments later, Ortiz - covered in celebratory flour - was walking off the field with the second-base bag in his left hand, a keepsake to recognize his 600th career double, which propelled the Red Sox to their seventh win in their last 10 games while putting Ortiz in some exclusive company.

"I don't know how he does it," said Bogaerts. "It's for some people and it's not for other people. He thrives in situations like that, and he can't wait to get an opportunity like that."

Related: Ortiz drops mic after walk-off: 'I'm a bad (expletive)'

For the last six weeks, though, no matter the situation, Ortiz has delivered. Nearly a quarter of the way into his 20th big-league season, the nine-time All-Star boasts the highest OPS (1.101) among baseball's 192 qualified hitters, and sits atop the American League in win probability added (1.87).

Situational splits, 2016

"Being able through the years to produce, and even in my last season being able to help this ballclub, is something I work extremely hard on," said Ortiz. "It's not over, it's just the beginning."

(Video courtesy: MLB.com)