Former University of South Carolina baseball standout and current Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. was named Most Valuable Player of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) Thursday night (Oct. 18) after Boston's 4-1 Game 5 win over the Houston Astros. Bradley Jr., former Gamecock standout Steve Pearce and the Red Sox advance to the 2018 World Series, where they will face either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Milwaukee Brewers starting on Tuesday, Oct. 23.
Bradley Jr. had nine RBI in the five ALCS games, helping Boston to its fourth World Series appearance since 2004. His three-run double in Game 2 helped Boston to a 7-5 win in Fenway Park on Sunday, Oct. 14. Bradley hit a grand slam in the eighth inning of the Red Sox's 8-2 win on Tuesday. He then hit a two-run home run to give Boston a lead it would never relinquish in an 8-6 victory on Wednesday. Bradley had a .400 on-base percentage and a .667 slugging percentage in the five games.
Bradley Jr. is no stranger to garnering Most Valuable Player awards in postseason play. The Richmond, Va., native was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2010 College World Series, helping the Gamecocks to their first-ever national championship. Bradley had three multi-hit games in the CWS, including a 3-for-4 performance with four RBI in an 11-4 win over Arizona State.
Bradley Jr., joins Pearce as former Gamecocks to advance to the 2018 World Series. Pearce had a home run in the Game 3 win over Houston and made several key defensive plays at first base for the Red Sox. This will be the first World Series trip for both Bradley Jr. and Pearce.
