BOSTON — There are series sweeps, and then there is the complete, total and resounding beatdown the Red Sox inflicted on the Oakland A’s this week.
The Red Sox, the highest-scoring team in the American League even before the series at Fenway Park began, throttled the A’s in three progressively more lopsided contests, winning 14-7 on Monday, 13-5 on Tuesday and, finally, 13-3 in Wednesday night’s finale.
It was the first time the Red Sox had scored 13 runs in back-to-back-to-back games in the 115-year history of the franchise and the first time any team had achieved that feat since the Cleveland Indians did so in May of 1999.
“As far as the series goes, this was a very strong offensive three games that we were able to put together,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “(Wednesday night), Jackie once again. That bottom-third of the order came up big for us. … But the ability to drive the baseball — that was apparent throughout these three games.
“Jackie,” of course, is center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who served as engineer for the freight train that was Boston’s offense.
Frequently slighted as a defensive whiz who will never be able to hit well enough to hold starting job in the majors, Bradley made mincemeat of everything Oakland’s pitchers threw his way. He batted .571 (8-for-14), smacked three homers (including two in Wednesday’s finale) and drove in 13 of the Red Sox’s 40 runs in the series.
Bradley has hit safely in 17 consecutive games — one shy of the longest streak in the major leagues this season — raising his batting average by exactly 100 points (.222 to .322) and his slugging percentage by nearly 300 (.315 to .610, good for sixth-best in the American League).
“He’s been tremendous,” said right-hander Rick Porcello, who allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings to earn the win Wednesday night. “I saw last year, when he gets hot, there’s really not one pitch that can get him out. And right now, he’s putting everything together.”
But Bradley was far from the Red Sox’s only offensive standout. Boston as a team collected an astounding 48 hits in the series (15 or more in each game), and Bradley, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, David Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez, Travis Shaw, Christian Vazquez and Chris Young all turned in multi-hit efforts in at least one game.
The Sox also bashed seven home runs in the series and scored at least one run in 15 of a possible 24 innings.
Torching a severely flawed team like the A’s doesn’t guarantee this offense will continue to produce at anything close to its current rate, but the fact that so many different bats have contributed bodes well for the team’s future success as it prepares for the long grind of summer.
“To their credit, everyone’s engaged,” Farrell said. “They don’t give an at-bat away. We’ve done a very good job with the approach and using all fields. This is a tough lineup to pitch against, because it’s not a one-dimensional type of team. It’s not a one-dimensional type of lineup. They’re thirsty for information, and they’re being able to apply it in the game. …
“They’re not giving at-bats away, and it’s a relentless group right now.”
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
