Jackie Bradley Jr. makes Red Sox history with 5 extra-base hits

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is starting to prove he's more than just a one-way player.

The defensive-minded Bradley went 5-for-6 with three doubles, two homers, five runs, and seven RBIs in Saturday's 22-10 win over the Seattle Mariners, becoming the first player in franchise history with five extra-base hits in a single game.

(Courtesy: MLB.com)

"He's swinging at strikes, and just the overall confidence he's shown - when he steps up to the plate, he looks like he's ready to do some damage," interim Red Sox manager Torey Lovullo told reporters. "Then when, you know, we get to see the look on his face when he comes into the dugout, he's telling a great story.

"It's a smile, it's a confident look. We've had a lot of different times with Jackie, and he's had a lot of good moments, but nothing as special as what he's had over this past week."

Bradley became the youngest player in major-league history to achieve the mark, standing out in an offense where Xander Bogaerts recorded four hits, while three other players notched three.

Though the offensive outburst is remarkable, Bradley's been on fire at the plate over the past week.

Entering Saturday, he owned a lackluster .203 average. After his five-hit performance, he's upped it to .250 on the season, while improving to .591 (13-for-22) in his last five games.

"(I'm) actually getting the results," Bradley said. "Hitting balls hard and having something to show for it, as cliché as it sounds. You hit the ball hard, you kind of want something to show for it.

"It's finally showing."

In 2013, his rookie season, he batted .189/.280/.337 in 37 games before being demoted. A year later, he appeared in 127 games, batting .198/.265/.266.