Becoming the first Boston Red Sox batsman since 2010 to hit a home run, a triple and drive in five runs, center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. turned in a dynamic performance that might just cement his wavering status as a bona fide major league outfielder.
Struggling from the plate prior to the game, Bradley Jr.'s 2-for-3, career-high five-RBI showing pioneered the Red Sox to a 7-2 win over the Detroit Tigers in the rubber match of a three-game series. The speedy outfielder also flashed Willie Mays-esque fielding skills in the bottom of the fourth, making an astounding bucket catch of a deep fly ball from Tigers first baseman Jefry Marte.
Boston starter Henry Owens (W, 1-1) garnered his first career victory in the process, allowing just one run on three hits in five innings despite walking four batters. Scuffling Detroit pitcher Justin Verlander (L, 1-5) took the loss in the contest, yielding two runs (none earned) on four hits in six innings of work, while walking three and striking out seven.
Red Sox third baseman Brock Holt and designated hitter David Ortiz recorded two hits apiece to support the team's winning efforts, sealing Boston's third win in the last five games. Second baseman Ian Kinsler was the only Tigers batter to capture a multi-hit outing, as the team garnered just four hits on the afternoon.
The Red Sox jumped out to an early lead in the second inning, converting on a two-out rally. After a walk issued to first baseman Travis Shaw was sandwiched in between two outs, an error by Kinsler allowed catcher Blake Swihart to reach, moving left fielder Alejandro De Aza (reached on a fielder's choice) to second. Second baseman Josh Rutledge then reached on an infield hit, loading the bases.
Bradley Jr. worked an RBI walk on the ensuing at-bat, pushing the first run across the plate for Boston. Holt would follow that up by knocking an RBI infield single to second, scoring Swihart and giving the Red Sox a 2-1 lead.
The Tigers were able to slice the deficit in half in the bottom of the third against Owens, however. Left fielder Rajai Davis worked a leadoff walk, stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch in the ensuing at-bat. With two outs, designated hitter Victor Martinez recorded an RBI single to center, scoring Davis and narrowing the gap to 2-1.
After reliever Tom Gorzelanny relieved Verlander in the seventh inning, he received a warm welcome from Bradley Jr., who blasted a 406-foot home run to right center to lead off the inning and push the Red Sox advantage to 3-2. Detroit regained that run in the bottom of the stanza, however, as Marte hit a leadoff bomb of his own, a 429-foot shot to center off of Boston reliever Justin Masterson.
The Tigers appeared to have all the momentum, however, this proved to be nothing but a facade. Reliever Ian Krol entered the game for Detroit and proceeded to receive the blunt of the damage from the formidable Boston bats in the eighth inning. Ortiz led off the inning with a single, moving to second on a subsequent base knock by Shaw. De Aza then sacrificed the runners into scoring position, and, after Swihart struck out swinging, Rutledge walked to load the bases.
Bradley Jr. then leveled the game's definitive blast, a critical bases-clearing triple to right field, increasing the Red Sox advantage to an insurmountable 6-2. Holt followed that up with an RBI single to center, pushing the lead to a final of 7-2.