What a difference a month makes.
On August 7th, Boston Red Sox right fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. was batting just .127 at the plate, with fans and critics alike questioning whether he had the potential to even become an everyday player in the MLB.
Now, following a 4-for-4, two-run, four-RBI performance in a 11-4 win over the division-leading Toronto Blue Jays, Bradley Jr. is hitting .389 on the season with a .450 on-base percentage, with Red Sox Nation drooling over fantasies of him piloting a star-studded outfield for years to come.
Red Sox center fielder Mookie Betts went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs, left fielder Rusney Castillo went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs, designated hitter David Ortiz went 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, and a run, and first baseman Travis Shaw smoked a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, leading Boston to their fourth consecutive victory.
Toronto starter Mark Buehrle (L, 14-7) suffered his most distressful outing of the season, going a season low 3.1 innings while allowing five runs on nine hits. On the other side of the docket, rejuvenated Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello (W, 7-12) pitched 7.1 strong innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits, striking out four.
Third baseman Josh Donaldson went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI while right fielder Jose Bautista went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Blue Jays, whose first-place lead in the AL East was trimmed to 0.5 games as the second-place New York Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 8-6, this afternoon.
Motivated by a Fenway Park crowd loaded with Blue Jays supporters, the men in blue struck first against Porcello, with the MVP-candidate Donaldson uncorking a solo home run, his 37th of the season, over the Green Monster in left field to provide his team with a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
This lead would not last, however, as Ortiz laced a ground rule double to open the second inning, scoring on an RBI sacrifice fly by Castillo to tie up the ballgame.
Bradley Jr. and Betts then proceeded to lead off the third inning with consecutive singles, the tandem moving to scoring position on a sacrifice by third baseman Pablo Sandoval. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts then plated Bradley Jr. with a go-ahead RBI groundout, and Ortiz scored the Red Sox' third run of the game with an RBI double off of the left field wall, one which nearly left the park for the Big Papi's 498th career homer.
Boston then chased Buehrle from the contest in the fourth inning, with Castillo and second baseman Brock Holt beginning the stanza with back-to-back singles and advancing to scoring position on a sacrifice by catcher Blake Swihart. Bradley Jr. then laced an RBI single to right, putting the Red Sox ahead 4-1 and ending Buehrle's outing.
Facing reliever Aaron Loup, the Red Sox would not cease their attack, with Betts driving in the fifth Boston run of the game with an RBI infield single on the ensuing at-bat.
Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak lessened the Toronto deficit to 5-2 with a leadoff home run in the fifth inning, however, the gap opened up further in the bottom of the sixth inning with the Red Sox facing reliever Ryan Tepera.
After Swihart singled to right to begin the stanza, Bradley Jr. slammed his eighth home run of the season, a two-run shot over the Green Monster to give Boston a 7-2 lead. Betts then reached on an infield single, and, after Sandoval popped out, Blue Jays reliever Liam Hendriks entered the contest only to allow an RBI double to Bogaerts.
With Hendriks remaining in the game in the seventh inning, Boston plated another run courtesy of Bradley Jr. After Castillo reached on an infield single to kick off the inning, Hendriks was able to retire both Holt and Swihart. However, a wild pitch moved Castillo to second, and Bradley Jr. proceeded to capitalize on the opportunity to score the runner with a two-out RBI ground-rule double to right, increasing the Red Sox lead to 9-2.
A two-RBI single by Bautista off of Boston reliever Noe Ramirez (both runs were charged to Porcello) cut the Blue Jays deficit to 9-4 in the subsequent inning, however, Boston regained the seven-run lead immediately, with Shaw following up an Ortiz walk by lifting a towering two-run home run to right off of reliever Jeff Francis, pushing the Red Sox advantage to 11-4.
Rookie left-hander Henry Owens (2-2, 5.87 ERA) takes the mound for Boston against Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (10-10, 4.09 ERA) tomorrow night as the Red Sox attempt to garner their fifth consecutive victory.