Bradley puts cannon arm on display

CHICAGO -- The batter executes a hit-and-run with a single into right, and the runner advances from first to third. It happens all the time on baseball fields everywhere. That's what the White Sox thought they were doing in the eighth inning on Tuesday night, when Gordon Beckham slapped one through the hole and Carlos Sanchez was off on the pitch in the Red Sox's eventual 5-4 loss.

And that was when Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. yet again reminded everyone why even conventional plays don't work against him.

Bradley gathered the ball and made yet another prodigious throw, nailing Sanchez, as Pablo Sandoval slapped down the tag.

"The runner's moving and it was hit right at me," said Bradley. "Usually guys go around second pretty hard, kind of bluffing. I looked up and started thinking, 'This ain't a drill,' and I just let it go."

"I just put up the glove and closed my eyes and tried to catch it," quipped Sandoval. "He threw a bullet to third base."

The frequency in which Bradley makes great plays is getting a little, well, ridiculous.

"It seems like it's every night, it's something with Jackie that's extraordinary," said Red Sox interim manager Torey Lovullo. "The way he charged that ball and closed ground on it and got it out of his glove and threw the ball to Panda, who made a great play to pick that up and make that out, it was a key play to the game that kept us within striking distance. It was an impressive play."

How many throws has Sandoval seen like that in his career?

"Two [or] three," Sandoval said. "From him. This is one of the best arms in the big leagues right now. You have to respect that when you run the bases."

It's somewhat surprising teams are still taking the extra base on Bradley.

"Word is traveling quickly that Jackie Bradley is back in the big leagues and playing very, very well," Lovullo said. "A little bit surprised [teams run on Bradley], and I think his reputation will change some things quickly."