PORTLAND – The list of Red Sox who had made cameo appearances with the Portland Sea Dogs on rehab assignments before Monday night wasn’t exactly a who’s who of Boston legends – Lenny DiNardo, Casey Fossum, Chad Fox, Wade Miller and Jon Lester. But a sold out throng at Hadlock Field knows a Big Papi when it sees one.

And there is no underestimating the Power of Papi in Portland.

David Ortiz got a rousing reception from the 7,368 in attendance for the first game of his scheduled three-night rehab stint in Portland. More importantly to Red Sox fans, he moved one day closer to where he’s appreciated most.

By all appearances, the rugged slugger’s left wrist, injured on May 31, continued to make progress toward his and the Boston Red Sox goal of returning to big league action on Friday night against the New York Yankees.

Batting third as the DH in the line-up, Ortiz went 2-for-3 with a walk, one run batted in and a run scored. Portland won the game, 8-2, to snap a three-game losing streak.

“I feel good. Hopefully everything keeps going like that,” Ortiz said after the game. “I just want to be ready and make sure when I go back up (to Boston), it’s to do my thing.”

Hundreds of available tickets to Ortiz’s three-night stand sold out in minutes after the stint was announced. Some went for hundreds of dollars on the Internet. He didn’t thrill the crowd in Portland with a home run just as he had in each of his three previous games in Pawtucket, but the fans didn’t seem to mind while giving him yet another standing ovation when he left the game for a pinch-runner in the sixth inning.

“I really appreciate it,” Ortiz said. “That’s why when we play the game we try hard, because we know we have a lot of people supporting us, everywhere we go.”

Ortiz ambled to the plate to his second standing ovation of the night in the bottom of the first. Connecticut righthander Joey Martinez started him off with an 84 MPH fastball for a strike. Ortiz swung once, at a 1-1 fastball, and fouled it off to the left, before taking three straight borderline pitches for a walk. He later scored from third on a two-run single by Josh Reddick, who was also making his Sea Dogs’ debut after being called up from Single-A Lancaster earlier in the day.

“He looked fine,” Sea Dogs’ manager Arnie Beyeler said. “I watched him hit earlier (in the batting cage) and the ball was jumping off his bat.”

Portland led 5-1 and had a runner at second when Ortiz stepped up to the plate in the second. The slugger went the other way on a 1-1 pitch from Martinez to put runners at the corners. He was stranded there, although Mark Wagner drove the run home from third on a sacrifice fly to make it 6-1.

The DH popped out to first on a 1-1 pitch in the fourth, then, in the sixth, blooped another 1-1 pitch from reliever Nate Bump between the second baseman and right fielder to drive in Iggy Suarez with Portland’s eight run. Lars Anderson replaced Ortiz at first and, after a taking a curtain call from the top step of the dugout, the 2004 ALCS MVP walked out to Portland’s clubhouse behind the right field to yet another loud ovation.

“I heard from some people that sometimes getting into Fenway to watch a baseball game is kind of tough, so when you get to see one of your players close to your house, let’s say in your back yard, it’s fun to watch,” he said. “I might talk to the owner, see if he can let everybody come in for free (Tuesday).”

Despite dropping down a level from Pawtucket, Ortiz felt he got some good at-bats against quality pitching.

“This kid that was throwing to me tonight (Jackson), he threw a couple of pitches that were Major League pitches,” Ortiz said. He tried to hit the spot inside, then came back with his change-up in the same place.”

“I want to see pitches and get my timing back. That’s what I’m worried about,” he added.