JBJ sets up Sox with another big HR in G4

HOUSTON -- Jackie Bradley Jr. isn't overthinking his success this postseason.
"Putting good swings on good pitches," Bradley said after hitting a grand slam that broke Game 3 open on Tuesday night. "That's pretty much it."
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Bradley delivered another good swing in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Wednesday night, launching a two-run home run against Astros right-hander Josh James with two out in the sixth.
The blast -- which had an exit velocity of 104.2 mph, according to Statcast™ -- gave the Red Sox a lead they would never relinquish, moving them one win from their first World Series berth since 2013 with an 8-6 win that gave Boston a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
"We all know it's special," Bradley said. "We're playing our best ball against some of the best teams in the country. We're trying to do whatever we can to win a ballgame. We're one more away, but we still feel like we have a long way to go."
The Astros had taken a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth in a game that featured so many twists and turns, fans must have felt like they were riding the wildest of roller coasters.
The energy in the ballpark was palpable after James retired the first two batters in the top of the sixth, but Christian Vázquez tempered that enthusiasm with a two-out double off the wall in right-center, putting the tying run in scoring position.
As it turned out, Bradley -- who already had seven two-out RBIs in the series on two big swings -- was also in scoring position thanks to his big swing, which traveled a projected 385 feet from home plate, according to Statcast™, for the go-ahead homer.
• ALCS fun fact: Each of JBJ's big hits have come with two outs
The Red Sox added runs in both the seventh and eighth, building a three-run lead for the bullpen.

"It was a big momentum shift," Bradley said. "They took the lead, so to be able to take it back, I felt the energy from my teammates. It was a big moment. A big moment for us. To be able to tack on two more, you never feel like it's enough runs."
Bradley has driven in multiple runs in three straight games, having hit a three-run double off the Green Monster in Boston's Game 2 win. The only other players in Red Sox history to record multiple-RBI games in three consecutive postseason contests are Manny Ramirez (2004), John Valentin (1999) and Nomar Garciaparra (1998). Garciaparra is the only one of the group to knock in three-or-more runs in three straight.

"I'm very proud of him, what he's done in the second part of the season and what he's done tonight and in this series," manager Alex Cora said. "It's amazing. He keeps working on his craft, his swing. He understands now, he's staying through the ball, hitting the ball in the air. There's no more hitting line drives into the shift. Now he hits the ball in the air.
"He's giving himself a chance. All credit goes to him. He was the one, he found it and he's staying with his process and he's done an outstanding job."

Bradley hit .100 (1-for-10) with no RBIs in his first postseason series in 2016, then he hit .200 (3-for-15) in last year's ALDS loss to the Astros, homering twice while driving in five runs.
Bradley went 2-for-14 (.143) with no RBIs in Boston's first five postseason games, but after Wednesday's 1-for-2 game in which he also walked twice and was hit by a pitch, he's 3-for-10 (.300) with a team-high two homers and nine RBIs.

Bradley acknowledged the benefit of playing in the postseason for a third straight October, but experience alone isn't enough to guarantee success.
"We have experience, but whether you have experience or not, it all boils down to executing," Bradley said. "That's the goal. You want to go out there, you set out and have a plan, but you still have to play the game and execute."