Boston Red Sox: 3 ‘amazing’ reasons why Jackie Bradley Jr is ALCS MVP

The Boston Red Sox are going to the World Series for the first time since 2013 and one unlikely hero powered them to glory.

The Boston Red Sox did the unthinkable behind unlikely heroes.

Behind David Price, the Sox took care of the Houston Astros Thursday night at Minute Maid Field to punch their ticket to the 2018 World Series against either the Milwaukee Brewers or Los Angeles Dodgers.

It wasn’t the usual suspects who got the Red Sox to their ultimate destination.  Sure, J.D. Martinez, Mookie Betts and Chris Sale had their moments.  But, to take out the defending World Series champs, Alex Cora and his 108-win team needed other players to step up.

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Nathan Eovaldi, Rafael Devers, Andrew Benintendi, Rick Porcello, the bullpen.  They all answered the call.  But, no one answered the call bigger than Jackie Bradley Jr.

We all trusted his defense coming into this series, but no one can say they trusted his bat to lead the Red Sox in three of the four victories.

David Ortiz stand aside.  Mr. Bradley is currently Mr. Clutch in October by making all three of his hits in the series count in a major way.

Going 3-for-15, Bradley Jr. drove in nine runs with two big homers.  One of those homers was a grand slam and the other was a three-run double that put the Red Sox back in the series and on their way to glory.

After being named ALCS MVP, Jackie Bradley Jr. summed up his last few nights with word.

"“It’s amazing,” the center fielder told the media following Game 5.  “I have amazing teammates, amazing staff.  Everybody’s such a blessing.  This is what we set out to do when we come to spring training.  And we battled – we’ve been battle tested, played against a lot of great ball teams.  This is definitely a special moment.”"

Special indeed!

Let’ take a look back at the three moments that cemented Jackie Bradley Jr. as the American League Championship Series MVP.

The night he woke up Fenway Park

Down 1-0 in the series and 4-2 in the game, Jackie Bradley Jr. woke the Fenway Park crowd up in Game 2 of the ALCS with a three-run double that sent Red Sox Nation into a frenzy.

The big bases loaded hit couldn’t have come at a better time for the team or the center fielder.  On a night when David Price struggled again, and Chris Sale was hospitalized with a mystery stomach illness, Red Sox fans needed something to get excited about.

That excitement was sparked by Jackie Bradley Jr. who won his second battle against Gerrit Cole by delivering the hit that put the team ahead and ultimately lead to a Game 2 victory.

"“The first at-bat, I think it kind of starts back with that,” Bradley said Sunday night.  “I saw a lot of off-speed pitches with 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.”"

Now that the Boston Red Sox have went on to win the series, that bases clearing hit was the blow that changed the series and made Jackie Bradley Jr. the folk hero in Boston on a night when the team’s World Series aspirations seemed dwindled.

The night he delivered the dagger

If Game 2 wasn’t enough, Jackie Bradley Jr. made sure the Boston Red Sox were not losing Game 3 with a monster gland slam in the eighth inning off Houston Astros closer Roberto Osuna.

In another unlikely hero moment, Bradley Jr. walked up to the plate with the bases loaded and his team leading by just one run, 3-2.  Against Osuna in that situation, it would seem the Red Sox center fielder was overmatched.

It turned out that Osuna was the one overmatched.  Let’s relive the moment:

In sending a 1-1 fastball into the night with two outs in the inning, Jackie Bradley Jr. approached the plate knowing his team needed more runs to secure a Game 3 victory.  He delivered in a big way.

"“It’s huge,” Bradley said following Game 3.  “We’re playing a really good team in Houston.  Runs are at a premium.  We never feel like enough runs is going to be enough.  So it was very, very special for us.”"

The blast led to an 8-2 victory and a 2-1 series lead for the Boston Red Sox.

The Astros killer

With already seven two-out RBI entering Game 4, there was no way Jackie Bradley Jr. would do it again, right?

Wrong.

With his team down 5-4 with two out in the sixth, Bradley Jr. launched a two-run homer off hard-throwing Houston Astros reliver Josh James.  The blast rocketed the Boston Red Sox to an eventual 8-6 win and commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

Again, the unlikely hero at the plate came through when his team needed him the most.

"“We all know it’s special,” Bradley said of the team’s run.  “We’re playing our best ball against some of the best teams in the country.  We’re trying to do whatever we can to win a ballgame.  We’re one more away, but we still feel like we have a long way to go.”"

The one win came on Thursday night.  There was no Game 5 heroics from Bradley Jr. to marvel about, but what he did in Game 2, Game 3 and Game 4 is the stuff playoff legends are made of.

Jackie Bradley Jr. is no Big Papi during the regular season, but during these playoffs he is delivery just like the Boston Red Sox legend did during his October runs.  Even if he doesn’t get another hit, the marvelous defensive outfielder has supplanted his name as a playoff hero and postseason MVP.