Boston Red Sox ALCS: The night Jackie Bradley Jr woke up Fenway Park

Stepping up at a key moment in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. delivered the hit of his career.

Unlikely heroes?  Yup, that’s what the postseason is all about, especially for the Boston Red Sox.

Stepping up to the plate in a bases loaded situation with this team down 4-2 in the third inning, Red Sox smooth defensive centerfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., wasn’t supposed to come through at that moment against a dominant pitcher like Gerrit Cole, especially with his success against left-handed hitters.

With the Fenway Park crowd already feeling anxious with their team down 1-0 in the series, a spark of electricity was needed, and it came off the bat of a player at the bottom of the lineup who made his second bases loaded opportunity count in a major way.

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After grounding out with the bases loaded in the first inning, Bradley Jr. had another opportunity in the third, this time with his team trailing.  He used what he saw in his first at-bat to knock a bases clearing double (crazy bounces and all) off the Green Monster to give the Red Sox a 5-4 lead and send Fenway into a frenzy.

"“The first at-bat, I think it kind of starts back with that,” Bradley said, via MLB.  “I saw a lot of off-speed pitches with the bases loaded.  Second at-bat, I got started off with a fastball and saw another off-speed pitch, and I was in a hitter’s count.  So I just wanted to not do too much, see a pitch in the zone that I could handle and I got it on the 2-1 count.”"

Bradley Jr.  went on to admit that he never saw the ball take crazy bounces like it did off the wall, but he is glad it did.  With the way Game 1 went and David Price once again showing signs of struggle in a playoff spot, the crazy three-run double symbolized things possibly bouncing back in the Boston Red Sox favor.

With the series now tied at 1-1, Bradley Jr. and the Red Sox have to win a game or two in Houston to have a real shot at this series.  It will certainly take heroic performance from some unlikely sources to get it done, especially now that Mookie Betts appears to be locked in and back to his MVP way.

The Red Sox right fielder started off the game with a double and really set the tone against The Houston Astros starter.  Boston was able to muster two runs in that first inning and most importantly were able to bounce back in the third after Price gave the Astros a 4-2 lead.

Resilience?

Yes, this team has shown it all season and to do it against the defending World Series champions showed it won’t be an easy ride for the Astros.  The Red Sox will battle back and Jackie Bradley’s second chance against Garritt Cole proved just that.

One moment at a time, one game at a time, this Boston Red Sox team is a different machine.  With shades of that 2004 team, the fans of Fenway Park left the historic ballpark with a good feeling.  Somehow, someway, Sunday night’s 7-5 victory over the Astros won’t be the last time fans see their team at Fenway this season.

Thank you Jackie Bradley Jr.