BOSTON — When you look at the amount of runs the Red Sox score every night, it should come as no surprise that Boston has the two hottest hitters in Major League Baseball.
Both of those players extended their respective hitting streaks in an 8-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.
Shortstop Xander Bogaerts got a hit in his 17th straight game with a double in the first inning, and center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. extended his streak to a league-high 28 games by jumping on a first-pitch fastball from Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa in his first at-bat. And even though Bradley says he’s not paying attention to the fact that he’s halfway to Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game streak, he’s well aware of how special that record is.
“It’s truly amazing,” Bradley said after the win. “It’s one of those numbers where it’s stood for a long time. There’s a reason why it’s there and why it’s lasted so long.”
But while Bradley isn’t keeping score on his own streak, he is paying attention to how well Bogaerts has been doing.
“He’s smoking it, ain’t he?” Bradley said. “He’s a really good player, really special player. I feel like every time he goes up there, he has a consistent plan and he’s sticking to it. He’s our (No.) 3 hitter, and he’s been doing a very good job of it.”
And because this Red Sox team seems to thrive on working together as a team, Bogaerts had similarly kind words for Bradley and was just as modest about his own achievements lately.
“I’m just trying to battle,” Bogaerts said. “I’m seeing the ball well, just trying to get on base, even if it’s a walk. I know I’ve been walking pretty much lately, so I give a lot of credit to that and just going up with a game plan.”
As for the other guys in the clubhouse, they’re wowed by the red-hot Bogaerts and Bradley, who are batting .349 and .346, respectively.
“They make me feel like I’m their age,” David Ortiz said.
Here are some more notes from Tuesday’s win.
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— The Red Sox got some good news from Triple-A Pawtucket, as Eduardo Rodriguez had a great rehab outing. The left-hander struck out seven batters with no walks in seven innings of one-run ball, and PawSox manager Kevin Boles, who said Rodriguez was “more athletic on the mound” Tuesday, delivered a good report.
“Getting off the mound, he covered first base a couple of times with a much more even gait to his run, looked more comfortable with his delivery,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “So we’ll check in when he gets back here tomorrow, but he came out of tonight in good shape physically.”
— David Price, who turned in his third straight quality start Tuesday, had something pretty interesting to say about the Red Sox’s offense. Price is a guy who’s never satisfied with anything less than perfection, so he said he’s not letting himself get distracted by the noise Bradley, Bogaerts, Ortiz and the rest of the gang are making.
“I’m a pitcher, no, absolutely not,” Price said. “It definitely makes our job as pitchers easier, but I’m not getting wrapped up in it. I definitely enjoy it, it’s a historic pace, I believe, and hopefully they can keep it up all year. That’s extremely tough to do, and at some point, we’re going to struggle offensively, and that’s when the pitchers need to come together and still continue to win.”
— Hanley Ramirez came out in the fifth inning with a right big toe contusion he sustained from being hit by a pitch, but X-rays came back negative. Farrell said the first baseman is day-to-day and could return to the lineup Wednesday depending on how he feels.
— If you want some numbers on just how wild the Red Sox’s offense has been this season, then we have plenty. After tacking on two runs in the opening frame Tuesday, Boston has scored 49 first-inning runs through 45 games and has scored multiple runs in the first inning in 18 contests. The Red Sox’s first inning average is .361 with 17 doubles, a triple and nine home runs.
The Red Sox also are 17-9 at home and have average 6.73 runs and 11.04 hits per game over 26 home games.
Got all that?
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
