hared the workload while Martin was out, mostly with limited success. Charles Sims and Antone Smith were lost to season-

NEW YORK -- David Ortiz began making his mark on the rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and New York with two long home runs at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 2003.He has not stopped getting big hits against the Yankees since and is ending his career as a highly productive player on a playoff team.Its incredible, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. You often wonder why hes retiring. I know a lot of athletes like to go out on top but gosh the year hes having, I would really have to think about coming back but Im going to encourage him to retire.On Thursday, Ortiz will take his last at-bats in the rivalry when the Red Sox conclude their series with the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.Ortiz announced his retirement before the season and the end of his 14-year tenure with the Red Sox has been marked by tributes in a similar manner to the final seasons of Yankee icons Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.Early in his time with the Red Sox, he struggled for playing time while splitting time with Jeremy Giambi and others. Until he hit those two home runs followed by two more in the next game, Ortiz had seven at-bats in the rivalry, but that weekend was part of a 5-for-16 showing and a few weeks later, he delivered his first game-winning hit in the rivalry.Then came the 2004 season, when he had consecutive extra-inning game-ending hits in Games 4 and 5 of the ALCS as the Red Sox became the only team to rally from a three games to none deficit en route to their first World Series title since 1918.Ortiz has 52 of his 53 career home runs vs. the Yankees with the Red Sox. He has the fourth-most home runs all time against the Yankees, tied for fourth all-time with Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg and only behind Manny Ramirez (55), and Hall of Famers Ted Williams (62) and Jimmie Foxx (70).Of those home runs, 31 have been in two versions of Yankee Stadium. He is tied with Mickey Vernon for the second-most among visiting players to New York and gets one more chance to tie or surpass the mark set by Goose Goslin.Theres always motivation when you come to play at Yankee Stadium, Ortiz said. Thats how its been until today. As far as I know, when youre a villain, youre a villain. When youre a hero, youre a hero. Not too many guys get to be both.The Red Sox will be taking the field as division champions for the third time in Ortizs tenure. They also won in 2007 and 2013 and Wednesday clinched their eighth division title despite Joe Kelly giving up Mark Teixeiras two-out grand slam in the ninth inning of a 5-3 loss.It doesnt detract at all from what these guys accomplished over the last six months, Red Sox owner John Henry said. The baseball season is an endurance test, so it takes six months to determine a champion. That championship was determined before this game ended.Teixeiras dramatic home run kept the Yankees mathematically alive for at least one more day. Although New York has won six of its last 17 games, it remains four games behind Baltimore in the wild-card race.Henry Owens, who was 10 years old when Ortiz joined Boston, makes the start in place of Drew Pomeranz. Owens made his major league debut at Yankee Stadium last August and has a 5.27 ERA in 15 starts.The 24-year-old left-hander has not pitched since being recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket where he was 10-7 with a 3.53 ERA in 24 starts. Earlier this season, Owens was 0-1 with a 7.79 ERA in four starts for the Red Sox.The last Yankees starting pitcher to face Ortiz will be CC Sabathia, who is 8-12 with a 4.02 ERA.Ortiz is 18-for-70 (.257) with two home runs and six RBI to go along with 16 strikeouts against Sabathia as a Red Sox and 18-for-76 (.237) with two home runs and seven RBI overall in their matchups.Sabathia is 12-13 with a 4.59 ERA in 34 career starts against the Red Sox and with the Yankees, he is 10-9 with a 4.79 ERA in 27 starts. He last opposed the Red Sox Sept. 18 in Boston when he allowed four runs and eight hits in a no-decision.The left-handers last outing was Saturday in Toronto when he allowed four hits in seven shutout innings of a 3-0 loss. It was his 45th career start of at least seven shutout innings and fifth scoreless outing this season. Detroit Pistons Store . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Fake Pistons Jerseys . The move comes after the Canadiens were approached by the Buffalo Sabres for permission to speak to Dudley - a former Sabres player and head coach. "The Sabres called for permission and I appreciate that, Im flattered, Dudley told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. https://www.cheappistonsonline.com/ . A big centre with all the tools to be an elite player, Johansen paced the Blue Jackets with a standout game Saturday night. He had a goal and two assists for a career-high three points as Columbus beat the New York Islanders 5-2 to snap a five-game losing streak. Detroit Pistons Gear . Louis Blues teammates who would also be participating in the Olympics, Alex Pietrangelo felt right at home, no different in some ways to the travel experience of any old road trip – save for the length of the journey, that is. Detroit Pistons Pro Shop . The Vikings announced Thursday that Priefer will be one of seven holdovers from the previous staff, along with offensive line coach Jeff Davidson, wide receivers coach George Stewart and others. Norv Turner will mark his 30th year of coaching in the NFL as the offensive co-ordinator, as widely reported for weeks, and George Edwards will be the defensive co-ordinator. TAMPA, Fla. -- Doug Martin plowed into the end zone, kissed the ground in celebration and jogged back to the sideline sporting a big smile.The running backs return from a hamstring injury that sidelined him nearly two months meant a lot more to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers than a 16-carry, 33-yard rushing performance against the Chicago Bears suggested.Just happy to be back, Martin said after the Bucs (4-5) stopped a two-game losing streak Sunday with their first home victory in nearly a year. The fifth-year pro missed six games and most of a seventh.It was frustrating, the two-time Pro Bowler added. But I was back and ready to go.With rookie Peyton Barber gaining 38 yards on 12 attempts, Martin wasnt Tampa Bays leading rusher.But just getting him back on the field gave the Bucs an emotional lift and bolstered optimism that the team can turn its season around after a slow start.A healthy Martin rushed for 1,402 yards a year ago, second in the NFL behind Adrian Peterson. He was even more productive as a rookie in 2012, rushing for 1,454 yards and catching 49 passes for 472 to finish with 1,926 yards from scrimmage -- the third-highest total for a first-year player in league history.You just see his presence iin him being out there.ddddddddddddGuys want to fight for him, quarterback Jameis Winston said. The first snap, I said, `Guys, we have Doug back. ... Lets play football. It was pretty big.Four different running backs shared the workload while Martin was out, mostly with limited success. Charles Sims and Antone Smith were lost to season-ending injuries during the layoff, and early season pickup Jacquizz Rodgers has been inactive the past two games with a sore foot after topping 100 yards twice in three starts.Martin returned to practice last week and said he felt fine after the game.He averaged just 2.1 yards per carry, but exited on a high note after scoring his first touchdown of the season on a 1-yard run in the closing minutes. He had not scored since Dec. 27, also against the Bears.There were some points in the game where I felt like I got my old legs back, and theyll come back with more practice, Martin said. I just did a little scout team (last) week and, practicing more, Ill be just fine.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '