BOSTON — Minus their ailing manager, the Boston Red Sox are trying to keep their focus on the field.

The hitters have done that, and a lot more.

Jackie Bradley Jr. launched two homers and three doubles to drive in seven runs as the Red Sox once again battered Seattle, roughing up Felix Hernandez and the Mariners 22-10 Saturday.

The Red Sox got 26 hits in the highest-scoring game ever against Seattle. They broke loose for the second straight day after Manager John Farrell took a medical leave for the rest of the season to treat his lymphoma.

The 53-year-old Farrell said he had a “highly curable” form of cancer about three hours before Friday night’s 15-1 romp, with bench coach Torey Lovullo running the team.

“It makes a lot of us feel like somebody’s watching over us to give us some good luck we finally deserve,” Lovullo said.

Advertisement

“(Friday’s) news still hits hard with several of us. I don’t think that’ll ever go away until we know John’s healthy and cured and with us. We have a wide range of emotions, but what we’ve done is separate it at game time,” he said.

At 25, Bradley became the youngest player to get five extra-base hits in a game, and the first to do it for the Red Sox.

Bradley began the day hitting .203 with two homers and 10 RBI in 74 at-bats. Batting ninth, he helped the bottom four spots in the Boston order post whopping numbers: 13 for 19 with four walks, 18 runs scored and 13 RBI.

Bradley has spent the season shuttling between Triple-A Pawtucket and Boston. He said he didn’t despair when he got sent back to the minors.

“Just got to keep working,” he said. “You don’t want to get down. Nobody else is going to feel sorry for you.”

Boston became the first team to get at least 15 runs and 21 hits in consecutive games since the Red Sox did it in 1950. It’s the only time they’ve done it in their last 100 years.

Advertisement

“The offense was going for me,” winning pitcher Wade Miley said. “They were scoring a lot of runs. I just tried to not give up more than they scored to get them back out there to hit. They can take all the time they want.”

Pablo Sandoval and Alejandro De Aza homered for Boston. Sandoval connected in his first at-bat, then was hit in the right elbow by Hernandez the next time up and left with a bruise.

Hernandez (14-7) was tagged for a career high-tying 10 runs in just 2-1/3 innings. Mariners catcher Jesus Sucre pitched the eighth, giving up three runs and five hits.

Nelson Cruz hit his major league-leading 35th homer and drove in three runs for the Mariners. Mike Zunino and Austin Jackson also homered.

Wade Miley (9-9) went seven innings.

Nine of the first 12 batters Hernandez faced had hits. Blanked in the first inning, Boston scored five times in the second and five more in the third.

Sandoval homered into the center-field bleachers leading off the second. Bradley then homered a few feet above Sandoval’s drive.

In the third, De Aza homered and Brock Holt had a two-run double, chasing Hernandez.

Bradley’s RBI double highlighted a four-run sixth, making it 15-2. He added a two-run homer in the eighth.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.