Red Sox Rout O's, 17-6, Behind Jackie Bradley Jr.; Javier Baez Leads Cubs Past Padres, 6-5

Players of the Day for Saturday, July 20, 2019

Bradley Jr.: 2 HR, 6 RBI

American League

After dropping the opener of their three-game series in Baltimore, 11-2, Friday, the Boston Red Sox roared back with a 17-6 romp at Camden Yards in game two, socking five home runs, two of them by center fielder, Jackie Bradley Jr.

Appreciated primarily for his defense, the fleet-footed Bradley whacked a pair of three-run homers, driving in six runs as the Red Sox took advantage of the small dimensions in Baltimore.

Since the all-star break, Boston is just 5-4, and they're still in third place in the AL East, 11 games behind the runaway Yankees and a game behind struggling Tampa Bay. They're also three games behind Oakland for the second wild card, so the defending world champs have work to do down the stretch.

After Sunday's series finale (1:05 pm ET), the Red Sox will enter a crucial stretch in which they play 14 straight games against Tampa Bay and New York, six against the Rays and eight against the Yankees from July 22 through August 4.

National League

Baez: 3-4, HR, 3R, 3RBI

Opening up a three-game lead in the contentious NL Central with a 6-5 win over San Diego, the Chicago Cubs have a golden opportunity to put some space between themselves and their closest pursuers, Milwaukee and St. Louis.

Chicago leads Milwaukee by three games and St. Louis by 3 1/2.

Javier Baez singled, doubled, and mashed a three-run homer to left field in the fourth inning that put the Cubs on top to stay.

Jose Quintana (8-7) allowed five runs in five innings, but four Chicago relievers blanked the Padres over the final four.

It was the second straight 6-5 win for the Cubs over visiting San Diego, and Chicago's fourth straight win overall. They're 7-1 since the all-star break and are looking to distance themselves in the division.

Baez, who came close to being the NL MVP last season with 40 doubles, 34 home runs and 111 RBI, is on pace to equal or exceed those figures. He's batting .292 with 25 doubles, 24 home runs and 67 RBI.

The Cubs will be seeking the series sweep when they take the field Sunday against the Padres. Game time is 2:20 pm ET.

Jackie Bradley Jr. Homers In Boston Victory; Clayton Kershaw Dominates Brewers As Dodgers Take Game Five

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 17, 2018

American League

AL Championship Series Game Four: Boston Red Sox 8 Houston Astros 6

Bradley Jr. does it again!

Jackie Bradley Jr. did it again. The Boston center fielder belted a two-run homer in the sixth inning, turning a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 Boston lead that the Red Sox would never relinquish.

Bradley Jr. has become an instant superstar, reminiscent of the Reggie Jackson heroics in the 70s that earned him the name "Mr. October."

In four games against Houston in the Championship Series, Bradley is hitting only .250 (3-for-12), but his hits have been timely and game-changing. In game two, he doubled and drove in three runs. Game three's grand slam sealed Boston's win and another homer put Boston ahead in game four.

The win leaves Boston with a 3-1 lead in the series, with game five scheduled for Thursday at 8:09 pm ET in Houston. A Boston win sends the Red Sox to the World Series. A Houston victory sends the series back to Boston for game six and, if necessary, game seven.

National League

NL Championship Series Game Five: LA Dodgers 5 Milwaukee Brewers 2

Kershaw: 7IP, 3H, 1R, 9K

Clayton Kershaw was at his best, holding the Brewers to one run over seven innings, taking the Dodgers to the brink of their second straight World Series appearance with a 5-2 win over Milwaukee and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.

On Lorenzo Cain's double with two aboard, the Brewers took a 1-0 lead in the third, but that was all they would get off Kershaw, who struck out Christian Yelich, walked Ryan Braun, and struck out Jesus Aguilar to end the bases-loaded threat. After that, he was perfect, retiring the next twelve batters in order from the fourth through seventh innings. He walked two and fanned nine.

During that stretch, the Dodgers rallied with a run in the fifth inning, two in the sixth, and two more in the bottom of the seventh. Kershaw walked in the seventh and came around to score on Justin Turner's single.

With the lead safely in hand, the Dodgers went to the bullpen, needing four relievers to hold down the Brewers. Milwaukee struck for a run in the ninth, but, with Curtis Granderson on second base, Kenley Jansen fanned Jesus Aguilar to shut down the rally and end the game.

The Dodgers find themselves one win away from the World Series as the series heads back to Milwaukee on Friday for game six and seven, if necessary, on Saturday.

Red Sox Hammer Astros, 8-2, On Jackie Bradley Jr. Grand Slam; Cody Bellinger Evens Series For Dodgers

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Bradley Jr.: Grand Slam

American League

AL Championship Series Game Three: Boston Red Sox 8  Houston Astros 2

Nursing a 3-2 lead provided by Steve Pearce's solo homer in the sixth, the Red Sox struck for five runs in the eighth, when they loaded the bases, scored a run on a hit batsman and Jackie Bradley Jr. put the game out of reach, mashing a grand slam over the right field wall.

Bellinger: Game winner

The victory put the Red Sox up, two games to one, over the reigning world champion Astros. Game four is on tap for Wednesday, 8:39 pm ET.

National League

NL Championship Series Game Four: LA Dodgers 3  Milwaukee Brewers 2, 13 Innings

In the bottom of the 13th, Cody Bellinger lined a single to right, scoring Manny Machado with the winning run as the Dodgers evened the NLCS at two games apiece.

Game five starts at 5:05 pm ET.

Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. Drive Boston Past Houston, Evening NL Championship Series, 1-1

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 14, 2018

American League

AL Championship Series Game Two: Boston Red Sox 7 Houston Astros 5

Bradley Jr.: 2B, 3 RBI

Trailing 4-2 with the bases loaded in the third inning, Jackie Bradley Jr. lofted a double down the left field line off the Green Monster to bring home three runs, putting the Red Sox ahead for good and tying up the championship series at a game apiece.

Betts: 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI

Boston added a run in the seventh inning when Mookie Betts walked, took second on a wild pitch, third on a passed ball and scored on yet another passed ball. In the eighth, Betts doubled in another Red Sox run to extend the lead. Craig Kimbrel picked up the save despite allowing a run in the ninth.

The series shifts to Houston for games three, four, and five, starting Tuesday, October 16 at 5:09 pm ET.

National League

There were no games in the National League.

Game three of the NLCS between Milwaukee and the LA Dodgers is Monday in Los Angeles, 7:39 pm ET.

Yoenis Cespedes Keys Mets Victory over Nationals; Jackie Bradley Jr. Wrecks Blue Jays as Boston Wins, 11-4

Players of the Day for Monday, September 7, 2015

American League

Bradley Jr.: 4-4, 4 RBI

Toronto opened a three-game series in Boston with a disappointing, 11-4, loss to the Red Sox, while the Yankees were beating the Orioles, 8-6, to move to within 1/2 game of the Jays in the AL East.

Jackie Bradley Jr. went 4-for-4 for Boston, scoring twice and driving in four runs with a pair of singles, a double, and his eighth home run of the season.

Boston jumped all over Toronto starter, Mark Buehrle, knocking him out of the game after just 3 1/2 innings with nine hits and five earned runs. The Red Sox racked up 17 hits in the game.

Bradley, who was used sparingly by the Sox through the end of July, has found his niche when put into the outfield on a regular basis in August. He's currently on an eight-game hitting streak and the 4-for-4 effort has his batting average up to .311. Since August 5th, when he was batting a paltry .102, Bradley has had 10 multiple-hit games and has driven in 31 runs.

Cespedes: 3-5, HR, 2 2B

Game two of the three-game series is set for 7:10 pm EDT at Fenway Park.

National League

Continuing their run at the NL East pennant, the NY Mets opened an important series in Washington with an 8-5 victory over the second place Nationals.

Yoenis Cespedes had another epic game for the Mets, socking a solo homer in the third inning and doubling twice to secure the win.

After Washington scored five runs in the fourth for a 5-3 lead, Cespedes doubled and scored the tying run in the fifth, then doubled again in the seventh, driving in David Wright to complete the scoring.

Cespedes finished 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. H's been integral to the success of the Mets. Since joining the team in late July, Cespedes has played in 34 games, batted .311, hit 13 home runs, eight doubles, three triples, stolen four bases without being caught, and driven in 31 runs.

The win left the Nationals five games behind the Mets in the East, with virtually no hope of qualifying for a wild card. They trial the Cubs by 8 1/2 games for the second wild card spot.

Game two of the series is Tuesday, at 7:05 pm EDT.

Jackie Bradley Jr. Leads 26-Hit Boston Assault; Matt Duffy Powers Giants over Nationals, 12-6

Duffy, 2 2B, 4 RBI

Bradley Jr. 5-6, 2HR, 7RBI

Players of the Day for Saturday, August 15, 2015

American League


While the Yankees expanded their lead in the AL East to 1 1/2 games over the Blue Jays with a 4-1 win in Toronto, the Red Sox and Jackie Bradley Jr. were teeing off against the Mariners, to the tune of 26 hits and a 22-10 win.

Bradley was simply amazing, socking a pair of two-run homers and three doubles in six at-bats, scoring five times and driving in seven runs, becoming the first Red Sox to get five extra-base hits in a game.

Batting at the bottom of the lineup, Bradley anchored the last four spots in the Boston order, which was a combined 13-for-19 with 13 RBI and 18 runs.

The score was the most ever against the Mariners and it started with their ace, Felix Hernandez, on the mound. Hernandez lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing 12 hits and a whopping 10 earned runs.

On Friday, the Red Sox battered the Mariners, 15-1. Boston will be seeking the series sweep when they take the field at Fenway Park, Sunday, at 1:35 pm EDT.

National League

To the delight of the NY Mets and their fans, the Giants are laying waste to the Washington Nationals, taking three straight in San Francisco, including Saturday's 12-6 mop-up.

The win kept the Giants 2 1/2 back of the Dodgers in pursuit of the top spot in the NL West, simultaneously keeping the Nats 4 1/2 back of New York in the East, as the Mets dropped a 5-3 decision to the Pirates in 14 innings.

Some credit for the Giants' success has to go to rookie third baseman, Matt Duffy, who, on Friday, was 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBI, and on Saturday had a pair of doubles and four RBI in five at-bats.

Duffy's first two-bagger came in the second inning with the Giants down 2-1 and the bases full. All three runners scored, giving the Giants the lead at 4-2. Duffy scored on a single by Brandon Belt as the Giants eventually put up a five-spot in the inning.

Things were already out of hand in the eighth when Duffy doubled again, knocking in Gregor Blanco to make it an 11-5 game. Buster Posey knocked in Duffy later in the frame.

A serious candidate for NL rookie of the year honors, in 103 games, Duffy is batting .310 (7th in NL), with 23 doubles, five triples, 10 homers and 59 RBI.

San Francisco can complete the sweep of the four-game series with a win in Sunday's finale, which starts at 1:05 pm PDT.