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One message and one promise fulfilled has created a bond that will stand the test of time. On April 29, Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz joined former teammate Kevin Millar in sending a message to Maverick Schutte, a six-year-old fan from Cheyenne, Wyo. who is battling a heart defect and lung disease.  [Related: David Ortiz delivers on promise to sick child with home run ] In that message, Ortiz promised to hit a home run for Maverick in that night's game against the New York Yankees. This is the video me and @davidortiz sent our little buddy Maverick before Red Sox game tonight.... pic.twitter.com/kVTqSoe8OV — Kevin Millar (@KMillar15) April 30, 2016 Not only did Ortiz come through, he launched a two-run home run in the eighth inning that proved to be the game-winner against Yankees superstar reliever Dellin Betances.   That's how the bond was formed. On Wednesday at Fenway Park, the bond grew to include the entire Red Sox organization and the entire city of Boston, as Maverick and his family were welcomed to town.   The adventures of Maverick continue with the ceremonial first pitch! 👍 #MaverickStrong pic.twitter.com/WIYB4maNbq — Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) May 11, 2016 That led to several heart-warming images, such as that seen above. In addition to finally meeting Ortiz in person, Maverick got to spend time with several of Ortiz's teammates, he got to throw out the game's first pitch, and in the very first inning, he received a foul ball off the bat of Dustin Pedroia. That will no doubt make his friends and even some grown adults back home pretty jealous.  According to Maverick's mother, Marti Linnane, it was Kevin Millar who again stepped up and made sure Wednesday night happened for her young son. She also noted her son will soon undergo heart surgery, but said the stresses of his ailments seemed to disappear once he was on the field with his heroes.  "An experience of a lifetime to come up here," Linnane told MLB.com . "It's like a fairy tale for a mom. For Maverick, it's just amazing. He's beyond overjoyed. He's so happy. He said it's the best day of his life every time we do anything with the Red Sox. As soon as he hit the field today, he said, 'I can't believe I'm in Fenway.' It's so fun." Continue to Article

May 12, 2016 1:02:am EST

There was hardly anything separating David Price and Dallas Keuchel last season, but in the end it was the Houston Astros left-hander who wound up beating out Price for the AL Cy Young Award. What looked like a marquee matchup a month ago now features a pair of pitchers hoping to figure out what's gone wrong Thursday night at Fenway Park, where Price will test out a mechanical adjustment as he tries to lead the Boston Red Sox to a fifth straight win. Keuchel went 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA last season with Houston (14-21) and Price was 18-5 with a 2.45 ERA between Detroit and Toronto before signing a seven-year, $217 million deal with Boston (21-13). Continue to Article

May 12, 2016 12:18:am EST

There was hardly anything separating David Price and Dallas Keuchel last season, but in the end it was the Houston Astros left-hander who wound up beating out Price for the AL Cy Young Award. What looked like a marquee matchup a month ago now features a pair of pitchers hoping to figure out what's gone wrong Thursday night at Fenway Park, where Price will test out a mechanical adjustment as he tries to lead the Boston Red Sox to a fifth straight win. Keuchel went 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA last season with Houston (14-21) and Price was 18-5 with a 2.45 ERA between Detroit and Toronto before signing a seven-year, $217 million deal with Boston (21-13). Continue to Article

May 12, 2016 12:18:am EST

Jackie Bradley Jr. had two home runs and six RBIs to extend his hitting streak to 17 games, and the Boston Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics with a 13-3 win on Wednesday night. Boston scored six runs in the first four innings and then had four more in the fifth to post its third straight game with at least 10 runs. Dustin Pedroia added a home run and the Red Sox finished with a season-high 17 hits. Continue to Article

May 11, 2016 10:42:pm EST