BOSTON -- Jackie Bradley Jr.’s hitting streak was going to end eventually. But on a list of potential candidates to stop it, the pitching staff of the Colorado Rockies would not have immediately sprung to mind.
Since the start of interleague play in 1997, the Rockies are an inconceivable 47-102 on the road against the American League. In the first two games of a three-game series at Fenway Park this week, Boston’s potent lineup lit up Jorge De La Rosa and Chad Bettis and the Red Sox pummeled the Rockies by an aggregate score of 18-6.
When David Ortiz launched a two-run homer in the first inning Thursday to give Boston a 2-0 lead, Colorado starter Jon Gray looked like the next man in line for a Fenway thumping. But Gray quickly found his stride, and the Rockies picked up a much-needed victory.
Gray, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 MLB draft, held Bradley hitless in four at-bats, and Colorado launched three homers off Clay Buchholz to win by a score of 8-2.
Bradley, whose last oh-fer had come on April 23 against Houston, batted leadoff for the first time this season on a night in which Boston manager John Farrell opted to rest Mookie Betts. He flied out to the warning track twice, and was standing in the on-deck circle when Betts grounded out against Rockies closer Jake McGee for Boston’s 27th and final out.
“To be able to get the opportunity to go this far is a blessing,” Bradley said after the game. “I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed. Obviously you want to get a hit, but the pitchers are really good in this league. It’s tough getting a hit day in and day out. It was a pretty special run for me.
“If it’s meant to be, it’s mean to be. Tonight was the night it was supposed to end.”
Bradley’s 29-game streak leaves him tied for third longest in Red Sox history with Johnny Damon, behind Dom DiMaggio’s franchise record 34 and the 30 straight games logged by Nomar Garciaparra and Tris Speaker. Bradley now yields the floor to Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who singled to extend his hitting streak to 19 games.
When asked if he has any advice for Bogaerts, Bradley replied, “I don’t. He knows what he’s doing, and he’s doing pretty well for himself.”
Gray, like Bradley, is a highly regarded prospect who has taken some lumps early in his career. He gave up nine earned runs in 3 1/3 innings in his previous start against St. Louis, and he sported a career big league ERA of 6.07 through 15 starts entering Thursday’s appearance.
But Gray certainly looks the part of an ace at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, and his mid-90s fastball and wipeout slider give him two solid weapons once he develops more consistent command. He retired Bradley twice on changeups, a pitch he throws a mere 2.7 percent of the time, according to FanGraphs.
Gray came into his latest start well aware of Bradley’s streak and the attention surrounding it. He also knew that the Red Sox have been laying waste to opposing pitching staffs at Fenway, where they had averaged 8.1 runs per game since April 20.
“It’s definitely a tough environment, it really is,” Gray said. “For me personally, it makes me pitch better. There’s more aggressiveness in the game. You don’t want to have a rough one here -- that’s for sure.”
Boston now begins a seven-game road trip to Toronto and Baltimore. Bradley’s hitting streak is history, but it earned him some national acclaim and abundant respect within the game.
“It’s incredible,” said Colorado manager Walt Weiss, “especially in this day and age. It’s tough to put together a hitting streak with all the specialists coming out of the bullpen to match up against you. That’s big-time stuff there by him. That’s pretty impressive.”