Jackie Bradley Jr. Extends Hit Streak To 28 Games As Red Sox Cruise Past Rockies
BOSTON -- David Ortiz continued the spectacular first half of his final season at Fenway Park on Tuesday night.
On a night when the Red Sox gave out canvas prints of the 40-year-old designated hitter to the crowd, Ortiz drove in four runs and David Price won his third consecutive start as Boston scored an 8-3 interleague victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Jackie Bradley Jr. extended his career-high hitting streak to 28 games -- tied with Wade Boggs for fifth best in team history -- while Boston teammate Xander Bogaerts extended his streak to a career-high 17 game. Both had two hits, while Dustin Pedroia had three singles.
Bradley, who doubled his first time up, is hitting .412 during his streak. A hit Wednesday night would tie him with Johnny Damon for fourth on the Boston list -- five behind matching Dom DiMaggio's club mark of 34, set in 1949.
Ortiz singled home two runs in the first inning and doubled home two more in the fourth as the Red Sox won for the 12th time in their last 14 home games. Boston handed the Rockies their fifth loss in six games.
Ortiz has 16 RBIs and 13 extra-base hits in his past 13 games, and he is batting .396 over that stretch.
Price (7-1) allowed three runs on five hits in seven innings in his first win in three career decisions against Colorado. He lowered his ERA from 5.53 to 5.34 before Koji Uehara and Matt Barnes finished up with a scoreless inning apiece.
The Red Sox failed to hit a home run for the first time in 23 games --having set the club record at 22 -- but did reach double figures in hits (12) for the 29th time, tops in the major leagues.
Jorge De La Rosa, who came off the disabled list to make the start for the Rockies, lasted just 3 1/3 innings, falling to 1-4 as his ERA rose to 11.41.
Charlie Blackmon hit a home run for Colorado, while rookie shortstop Trevor Story struck out all four times up. He is in an 0-for-10 spell and has struck out six times in the last two games.
Red Sox first baseman Hanley Ramirez left the game when he was hit by a De La Rosa pitch with one out in the fourth inning. After being checked out on the field, he stayed in the game and went to third on a single to left-center. However, when the inning ended, he was done for the night.
It didn't take long for the Red Sox to welcome De La Rosa back from the DL. With one out in the first, Pedroia reached on an infield hit mishandled by first baseman Mark Reynolds and rode to third on a Bogaerts double. Ortiz singled home both.
With two out in the visitors' second, Gerardo Parra lined one to short left that Chris Young played into an RBI triple.
In the bottom half, Bradley doubled and scored on Vazquez's triple -- Mookie Betts' sacrifice fly making it 4-1 before Blackmon's homer in the third. A pair of walks preceded Ortiz's two-run double. De La Rosa was gone after hitting Ramirez on the right foot with a pitch.
NOTES: RHP Carson Smith, acquired from the Seattle Mariners to be Boston's setup man, underwent Tommy John surgery Tuesday. The expected recovery time is 11-14 months. ... RHP Jason Motte, yet to make his Rockies debut because of a right shoulder strain, is with the team and could be activated Wednesday or Thursday. ... Colorado manager Walt Weiss went with OF Ryan Raburn as his designated hitter Tuesday and said Raburn might be in that spot throughout the three-game series. ... The Red Sox welcome back members of the 1986 AL champions Wednesday, including 3B Wade Boggs, whose No. 26 will be retired Thursday. ... RHP Jordan Lyles, who hit Pittsburgh RHP Ryan Vogelsong in the face with a pitch Monday, was sent to Triple-A to make room for LHP Jorge De La Rosa, who came off the disabled list to start Tuesday. ... Boston INF Travis Shaw (sore left hand) didn't start, but he entered the game when 1B Hanley Ramirez got hurt.
