It’s all grand for Red Sox
HOUSTON — Jackie Bradley Jr. didn’t let his demeanour change this season, even as fans begged Boston to trade him during a miserable first-half slump.
Stayed steady after the biggest swing of his career, too.
Bradley belted a grand slam for his second big hit in the AL Championship Series, helping the Red Sox beat the Houston Astros 8-2 on Tuesday for a 2-1 series lead. His low-key personality was on display as he rounded the bases without the hint of a smile. He greeted his screaming, excited teammates at home plate with one small jump and a few high fives.
“One of my coaches back in the day ... said: ‘No one should ever know whether you’re winning or losing. Kind of keep the same temperament. That way, it will allow you to put some perspective into things,’ ” Bradley said. “And I kind of took that to heart.”
Bradley’s slam backed a solid start by Nathan Eovaldi, who hushed Houston a day after some social media smack talk from Alex Bregman.
“We can play at any park,” Eovaldi said. “The first game is always the biggest one of any series when you go on the road.”
Game 4 is tonight, with Boston’s Rick Porcello opposing Charlie Morton.
Steve Pearce hit a tiebreaking homer for the Red Sox off Joe Smith in the sixth, a drive that sailed just inside the foul pole in left field for a 3-2 lead.
Bradley’s slam capped a fiverun burst in the eighth against Roberto Osuna. The Astros closer got two outs but allowed two singles and plunked consecutive batters to force in a run. Bradley then crushed a 1-1 fastball into the right-field seats to send Houston fans streaming toward the exits.
“That’s the pitch I always get him out with,” Osuna said. “He hit it today, but I would go there 100 more times.”
Osuna was acquired from Toronto this season while serving a 75-game ban under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. He had a 1.99 ERA over 23 games for Houston in the regular season after he returned.
With his childhood hero and fellow Alvin, Texas, native Nolan Ryan sitting behind the plate, Eovaldi turned in another solid start. He allowed six hits and two runs with four strikeouts in six innings for the win in the second playoff start of his career.
“For him, I know it’s a special one,” Boston manager Alex Cora said.
Bregman had shared a video Monday on Instagram of Houston hitting back-to-back-to-back home runs off Eovaldi in his previous outing against the Astros in June. Eovaldi downplayed the post when asked about it Monday.
Bregman did much of the damage against Eovaldi, getting two hits, an RBI and a walk in three plate appearances. Bregman has reached base safely in 20 of 28 plate appearances this post-season.