Red Sox ALCS unexpected heroics being supplied by Jackie Bradley, Nathan Eovaldi
By Rick McNair
The Boston Red Sox have received the necessary support from sources other than the expected. Both Jackie Bradley and Nathan Eovaldi have stepped up in the playoffs.
The glory of hindsight is you can ignore the negative thoughts and concentrate on the positive vibes. As of this morning, you can find just a very few within Red Sox Nation admitting to wishing Jackie Bradley was elsewhere. I was one and this is just one article among the few I wrote. I was not alone, but the others who are guilty can seek their own comeuppance.
Bradley is not a great hitter and never has been a great hitter in the majors or the minors. His laurels rest upon great defense and the occasional hot streak as best demonstrated by the ALCS and his bizarre 2018 season. Bradley hit just .210 in the first half and then .269 in the second half.
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Bradley’s heroics certainly arrived at a most opportune time with Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez having a limited impact on the offense, but that is the idea – picking up the slack and with three key hits Bradley has picked up a bushel of slack. How the rest of the series plays out may decide if Bradley gets the nod and becomes the ALCS MVP.
Bradley has been joined on the podium of success under pressure by Nathan Eovaldi. The free agent to be right-hander put a momentum kibosh on the New York Yankees with seven innings of one-run baseball at The Stadium to give the Red Sox a swing back into control. Eovaldi was not done.
Houston got the precious split and for Boston, the rotation was in a wee bit of tatters with David Price still shaky and Chris Sale in triage. Someone needed to step up and restore rotation dignity and Eovaldi did just that with six strong innings to get another postseason win.
With Eovaldi, the timing is perfect for a proving ground for a new contract. And considering Eovaldi may have been sequestered in the bullpen and Eduardo Rodriguez in the rotation the Red Sox and a very gutsy manager Alex Cora made the right move.
Both Bradley and Eovaldi represent the second line of talent – not to be dismissive – but they are certainly not in the same rarefied level of the previously mentioned of the rotation and offense. Eovaldi is also on track to pitch a – and I hope not – potential game seven at Fenway Park.
Next. Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello's worth to the team. dark
The Red Sox bullpen has been considered the potential downfall of this team in the playoffs but has managed to post enough good innings to get to the closer. That is where pulse rates go into overdrive as closer Craig Kimbrel has done everything possible to emulate former Astro Ken Giles disastrous (0-2, 11.74) in last seasons playoffs. Betts arm and Andrew Benintendi‘s glove saved game five.