Getting a rare opportunity to bat under National League rules, Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson tried to use the element of surprise to stretch a single into a double this afternoon against the Diamondbacks. It didn’t go well.
Not so smart. That could have been a disaster for Wilson and the Angels. Fortunately, he’s fine. Wilson actually tossed eight innings of one-run ball and struck out a season-high nine batters as part of a 7-1 victory.
Here’s some reaction from after the game:
Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. was named the Most Valuable Player of the American League Championship Series after his club punched its ticket to the World Series on Thursday night against the Astros.
Coincidentally, the Astros’ Game 5 starter Justin Verlander was ALCS MVP last year en route to a championship.
Bradley went 0-for-3 with a walk in Thursday’s Game 5, but he hit a three-run double in Game 2, a grand slam in Game 3, and a go-ahead two-run home run in Game 4. That’s nine RBI and three extra-base hits across five games. He also drew four walks.
Though Bradley had a solid regular season, he was not near the top of the list most people would’ve expected to win ALCS MVP heading into the series. During the season, he hit .234/.314/.403 with 13 home runs, 59 RBI, 76 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases in 535 plate appearances.
