Nine thoughts on the Red Sox’ 8-2 win over the Astros in Game 3 of the ALCS . . .
1. Well, wasn’t that such a swell turn of events for the dedicated but occasionally beaten-down members of the Jackie Bradley Jr. Is Very Valuable Player (He Is, And Don’t Call Me That) Society. Bradley is probably the most polarizing current athlete in Boston sports, though Marcus Smart is basically the basketball version of Bradley — great defense, erratic offense, lots of fans, lots of doubters.
I would not call Bradley’s eighth-inning grand slam that turned a 4-2 Red Sox lead into an 8-2 no-doubter a redemptive moment, because I’ve never thought he needed redemption in the first place.