BALTIMORE (AP) — Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts extended his career-high hitting streak to 26 games with a two-run double in the sixth inning of Thursday night's game against the Baltimore Orioles.
A single, a double and a walk loaded the bases for Bogaerts, who doubled off the center-field wall. Bogaerts lined out to shortstop and struck out before delivering a bases-loaded hit off Ubaldo Jimenez.
"They just came out swinging," Jimenez said. "They hit pretty much everything I threw. I threw a couple fastballs up. In the first five innings, everything was down. I just got bit in that inning."
The 26-game streak is second-longest in the majors this season behind the 29-game run of teammate Jackie Bradley, Jr.
David Ortiz followed Bogaerts' double with a three-run homer to give Boston a 5-4 lead.
"We continue to have a very good offensive approach," manager John Farrell said. "Our guys up and down the lineup are contributing. Yet, the inability to locate consistently is the difference in the last two ball games, compared to the first two of the series."
Red Sox pitchers issued nine walks on Wednesday and couldn't keep the ball in the park in the series finale.
"Hopefully, we just continue to swing the bats and the pitching will take care of itself," Bogaerts said.
