BOSTON -- Jackie Bradley Jr.'s hitting streak -- which created a buzz around Fenway Park for several days -- ended at 29 games on Thursday, when the Red Sox took an 8-2 loss to the Rockies.
"It was a fun ride," said Bradley. "I had a lot of fun. I enjoyed it. Most of all, the team played really well during it. I'm blessed to be in this situation."
:: Longest hitting streaks in MLB history ::
Bradley, who went 0-for-4 and finished five games shy of Dom DiMaggio (34 games in 1949) for the best streak in Red Sox history, was on deck in the ninth inning when the game ended. Bradley didn't go down without a fight, as two of his outs were warning-track flyouts.
"You always want an opportunity, a chance," said Bradley. "If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. And tonight is the night it was supposed to end."
The left-handed hitter was more than halfway to Joe DiMaggio's record-setting streak of 56 games in 1941.
• Play Beat the Streak, win $5.6 million
"I don't know. I guess it could happen," said Bradley. "Things are made to be broken, but it was a good run. The game's getting a lot harder, pitchers are getting a lot better."
His hitting streak was the longest in the Major Leagues since Denard Span also had a 29-game streak in 2013. He was trying to become the first player to reach 30 games since Andre Ethier and Dan Uggla in 2011.
The streak -- which matched Johnny Damon in 2005 for the longest by any Red Sox player since Nomar Garciaparra hit in 30 straight games in 1997 -- began on April 24.

In Bradley's first at-bat, he belted a drive to deep right that was caught just in front of the Red Sox bullpen in right-center. Bradley again stung the ball in his third at-bat in the fifth, but this time his drive was flagged down right in front of the wall in center.
"Today probably wasn't meant to be," said Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts. "He smoked those two balls that maybe on any given night may have been out of here."
Now it is Bogaerts who has the longest hitting streak in the Major Leagues at 19 games after he hit a single in the first.

"Go out and get your hits," said Bogaerts. "Try and find them any way possible. Infield hit, hard-hit ball. Home run. Anything. Blooper. Just go out and get it."
In his final at-bat in the bottom of the eighth, Bradley offered at the first pitch and grounded out to second base.
It looked like Bradley might get one last chance in the ninth when Chris Young hit a two-out double and Blake Swihart drew a walk. But pinch-hitter Mookie Betts grounded to first to end the game.

"He had a couple of good swings where he drove the baseball," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "Just outstanding to extend it to the length he did. But as many said, tomorrow is a chance to start another one."
Dom DiMaggio, Garciaparra and Tris Speaker (30 games in 1912) are the only three players in Red Sox history to have a longer hitting streak than Bradley's.