Bogaerts, Bradley 1-2 In Batting Average As Red Sox Continue To Dominate At Plate
BOSTON (CBS) -- Jackie Bradley Jr.'s 27-game hit streak is rightfully taking center stage during the Boston Red Sox's offensive onslaught to start the 2016 season, and will only get more attention the longer it goes. But lost in all the scoring is the performance of the rest of the Red Sox lineup, particularly the early power surge of 40-year-old David Ortiz and the quiet dominance of shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
After beating the Cleveland Indians 5-2 at Fenway Park on Sunday, the Red Sox own the American League's top two leaders in batting average, including three of the top four. Bogaerts leads the way with a .346 average, followed by Bradley at .342. Ortiz is tied for fourth place with the Detroit Tigers' Victor Martinez at .329. The Red Sox's team average of .296 leads the league, by a lot - Detroit is second at .265.
Bradley was asked about Ortiz's incredibly hot start at the plate, and he is not the least bit surprised about it.
"He's been doing it for a long time," Bradley said of Ortiz after the game to WBZ News Radio 1030's Jonny Miller. "He knows what he's doing. He's pretty special."
Ortiz came a triple short of the cycle on Sunday. Bradley said he heard Ortiz in the dugout joking, "It's going to be hard to go three [bases] with a flat tire," referring to his sore feet.
The Red Sox as a team lead the AL with 256 runs scored, 55 more than the second-place Seattle Mariners. Their .844 team OPS is also by far the highest in the league, 70 percentage points ahead of second-place Baltimore. The Red Sox lead the league in hits, doubles, triples, RBI, and total bases.
On pace to score 942 runs, the Red Sox may not be able to sustain their current run for much longer, but it's safe to say that Bogaerts is emerging as the elite hitter the team envisioned him to be while Ortiz will likely draw "Why are you retiring?" questions for the rest of the season. The Red Sox may not ultimately have a historic offense, but for now, they certainly have the league's best.
