Red Sox bring hitting streak drama to Rogers Centre
Xander Bogaerts’ consecutive-game hitting streak hit 21 games with three hits Saturday afternoon at the Rogers Centre.
By: Bob Elliott
Have you ever followed the drama of a hitting streak?
It builds through the first at-bat gradually until the streaker either gets a hit to extend, or a pitcher ends it.
Shawn Green hit in 28 consecutive games in 1999 for a Blue Jays record.
Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. had hoped to bring a hitting streak to the Rogers Centre this weekend. Instead his consecutive-game mark ended at 29 game as right-hander Jon Gray and the Colorado Rockies beat Boston 8-2 at Fenway Park Thursday night.
Batting lead-off for the first time Bradley flied out to the track in right centre, grounded back to Gray in the third, flew out to the track in centre in the fifth and bounced out leading off the eighth.
Yet, the drama still was not over. With two out and no one on in the ninth Chris Young doubled and Blake Swihart walked, bringing up pinch hitter Mookie Betts -- with Bradley in the on-deck circle hoping for another chance.
Betts grounded out and thus ended the Bradley streak.
Not to worry, you can experience the drama of Xander Bogaerts’ hitting streak. He singled and has now hit in 19 straight as Boston weekend series at the Rogers Centre.
Years ago it was a rule in major league press boxes after a player reached double figures hitting in consecutive game someone would announce in the press box: “that’s a 10-game hitting streak for ...”
And some wise acre would yell “call Joe DiMaggio for reaction!”
DiMaggio, of course, hit in 56 straight.
Bradley went past the half-way point to catching the Great DiMaggio. People are writing comparing what Bradley has done to what DiMaggio accomplished.
During the streak Bradley hit .415 during the streak (44-for-106) with extra-base hits -- nine doubles, three triples and eight homers -- as well as 30 RBIs. He is tied for the fourth longest streak in Red
Sox history one behind Nomar Garciaparra (1997) and Tris Speaker.
The last major leaguer with a longer streak was Atlanta Braves infielder Dan Uggla, who hit in 33 games successfully in 2011.
You’ve heard of Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Jr. whose father played in the majors.
And you know that Cal Ripken’s father used to manage the Baltimore Orioles.
Who is Jackie Bradley Jr.’s father?
When the outfielder arrived in Fort Myers in the spring of 2013 his father was a city bus driver in Richmond, Va. and he never played pro ball. Both father and son were named after sweet singer Jackie Wilson, who sang Lonely Teardrops and Your Love Keeps Lifting Me. Wilson is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Bogaerts leads the majors with 262 opening day 2015 and has hit safely in 30 of his last 32 games reaching base at least twice in 25 of those games.
David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Bradley, Bogaerts and everyone else are hitting line drives. The Sox have scored 127 runs in their last 15 games at home with 77 extra-base hits.