If only the Boston Red Sox played the Seattle Mariners in every game, they might still be in the playoff hunt. One day after they laid a 15-1 shellacking on the Mariners, they followed up with a 22-10 victory Saturday.
According to MLB.com's Paul Casella, Boston is the first team since 1950 to have 15 or more runs and 21 or more hits in back-to-back games. It's also the most runs ever allowed by the Mariners in franchise history, per ESPN Stats & Info.
One Red Sox fan in particular will be happy with the result, as ESPN pointed out:
Jackie Bradley Jr. was the game's top performer. Batting in the No. 9 slot, Bradley finished 5-for-6, with all five hits of the extra-base variety—three doubles and two home runs. He's the youngest MLB player in the last century to finish with at least five extra-base hits, per Red Sox manager of media relations and baseball information Jon Shestakofsky.
Bradley also recorded seven RBI, with his final two coming on a home run in the bottom of the eighth:
Those who picked the 25-year-old in their daily fantasy leagues are doing cartwheels, as ESPN Stats & Info relayed his massive fantasy stat line:
Offense has long been an issue for Bradley in the majors, but Jason Martinez of RosterResource.com noted things may be turning around for the outfielder:
David Ortiz and Blake Swihart also contributed to the beatdown, going a combined 7-for-8 and driving in three runs apiece.
In total, six Red Sox hitters had at least three hits, while seven had at least two runs batted in.
At the other end of the spectrum, it simply wasn't Travis Shaw's day. The Boston first baseman went 0-for-6, leaving seven men on base.
Of course, his poor showing didn't hold a candle to the woes of Felix Hernandez.
Three years ago to the day, Hernandez threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The 2010 Cy Young Award winner was anything but perfect Saturday, allowing 10 earned runs on 12 hits in 2.1 innings pitched.
However, the day wasn't all good for the Red Sox. Pablo Sandoval exited after the bottom of the third with an apparent elbow injury. He briefly stayed in the game after getting hit by a pitch in the third but was subsequently replaced in the lineup by Josh Rutledge:
According to Tim Britton of the Providence Journal, the X-rays on Sandoval's elbow were negative, and he's considered day-to-day.
For the Mariners, the defeat by itself is bad enough, but Hernandez's recent struggles may be cause for concern. It's the third time in his last four starts he has allowed at least 11 hits. During that same span, his earned run average has increased nearly a run from 2.69 to 3.65.
Seattle is already a long shot for the postseason—2.2 percent chance on Baseball Prospectus—and those prospects won't improve if the team can't rely on its ace.
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