Darnell Mcdonald

latest news about Darnell Mcdonald”: Darnell McDonald has been riding busses in the Minor Leagues. Sure, there have been some proverbial cups of coffee along the way, including a 17-game stretch with the Orioles in 2004, a four-game stint with the Twins in ‘07 and even a 47-game stay with the Reds last year.

But when the Red Sox asked McDonald to fly from Rochester, N.Y., (where Triple-A Pawtucket was playing) to Boston on Tuesday in the event that they might need to put him on the roster, how was he supposed to know it would evolve into the most storybook evening of his career?

Less than 90 minutes before the game started, the Red Sox finally summoned McDonald from a nearby hotel to Fenway Park. Jacoby Ellsbury’s batting-practice session did not go well, so the speedy left fielder went on the disabled list with a left chest contusion.

Enter McDonald, who was called on by manager Terry Francona in the bottom of the eighth, the reeling Red Sox trailing by two runs. Stepping in as a pinch-hitter for Josh Reddick, the other player promoted from Pawtucket on Tuesday, McDonald promptly belted a game-tying two-run homer over the Green Monster.

He was just getting started. The night — and the game — ended with McDonald clubbing a walk-off single off the Monster with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Just like that, it was Red Sox 7, Rangers 6.

“Well, I got on the plane today and was sitting around [waiting],” said McDonald. “I came to the field, pretty much put my uniform on and got ready for the game. I couldn’t write a script any better than this. A lot happened real quick tonight. It was a dream come true. That’s the reason I signed over here, to play in this type of atmosphere, to play for an organization like this.”

The Red Sox liked what they saw from the 31-year-old McDonald in Spring Training and felt that, at some point, he might help them against left-handed pitching.