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JACKIE BRADLEY JR |
"THE FUTURE AIN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE"
Bradley & Porcello help cool off
the red hot Blue Jays
September 7,
2015 ... It’s
sound logical given the events of recent weeks. For a team that fell
out of contention in July, the Red Sox are an entertaining bunch.
They have won four straight and eight of 11, and for the first time
since June 8 have moved out of fifth place in the American League
East. The Red Sox stayed hot with an 11-4 victory before a crowd of
33,659 at Fenway Park, taking down Toronto with 17 hits, six for
extra bases.
Jackie Bradley Jr. continued his renaissance, going 4 for 4 with four RBIs. He
singled twice, doubled, and homered. Bradley has 32 RBIs in his last 25 games
and is now hitting .312 on the season. Since Aug. 9, Bradley is 37 of 83 (.446)
with 24 extra-base hits, 32 RBIs, and 29 runs. Bradley had five home runs in his
first 188 major league games. He has seven in the last 25.
Toronto tried what it could against Bradley, but no sequence of pitches could
stop him. Facing lefthander Mark Buehrle in the third inning, Bradley hit a
first-pitch cutter to left field for a single. Facing Buehrle again in the
fourth inning, he lined a full-count changeup to right field.
In the sixth inning, with righthander Ryan Tepera on the mound, Bradley lined a
1-and-1 fastball over the wall in left for a two-run homer. In the seventh
inning, this time facing righthander Liam Hendriks, Bradley fell behind, 1 and
2, and knocked a curveball into right field for an RBI double.
Mookie Betts was 3 for 5 with an RBI and two runs, extending his hitting streak
to 13 games. Ortiz doubled twice, walked, and drove in a run. Rookie first
baseman Travis Shaw added a two-run homer and Xander Bogaerts two RBIs. Every
starter had at least one hit and seven scored at least one run.
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RICK PORCELLO |
Rick Porcello (7-12) allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits over 7⅓
innings. He left the mound with a 9-2 lead. Two inherited runners scored after
he left the game. Porcello has given up four earned runs over 22⅓
innings in his last three starts, trimming his earned run average from 5.81 to
5.12. Like several other Sox players, he has turned around a lost season and
created hope for 2016.
Porcello allowed a solo home run by Josh Donaldson in the first inning, the ball
rocketing into the Monster Seats. The many Blue Jays fans on hand started
chanting “MVP” as Donaldson toured the bases. Porcello retired 10 of the next 12
batters, allowing teammates a chance to take control of the game.
Buehrle (14-7) lasted only 3⅓
innings, allowing five runs on nine hits. It was his shortest stint of the
season. The Blue Jays now lead the Yankees by a half-game.
Sox starters have a 2.90 earned run average in the last 19 games. At 65-72, the
Sox are tied with Baltimore for fourth place and two games behind Tampa Bay for
third. |
