Watch former Gamecocks smash homers run in big playoff moment for Red Sox

Former South Carolina standouts Steve Pearce and Jackie Bradley delivered big home runs for Boston Red Sox on Tuesday.

Pearce hit a 456-foot homer just inside the left-field foul pole in the sixth inning and Jackie Bradley hit a grand slam in the eighth inning to help the Red Sox past the Astros, 8-2, of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.

Boston leads the series, 2-1. Game 4 is set for Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.

Bradley’s grand slam gave the Red Sox an 8-2 lead in the eighth inning. He has seven RBI in his last two games. It was Boston’s first playoff grand slam since 2013 from Shane Victorino.

Bradley, who was low key while his teammates were going crazy when he crosses the plate, was just 1-for-18 with bases loaded this year.

“Just putting good swings on some good pitches. That’s pretty much it . . . I was looking for a ball up in the zone that I could handle and I got that pitch,” Bradley told reporters after the game. “I’ve never been an over-the-top type. I had a high school coach who told me, ‘no one should ever know whether you’re winning or losing. Keep the same temperament and that will allow you to put perspective on things.’”

For Pearce, it was his first playoff homer when he gave Boston a 3-2 lead with a solo shot in the sixth.

It was Pearce’s first homer since Sept. 28 against the New York Yankees. Pearce hit .279 this season with the Red Sox after being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in July. He entered Tuesday’s game hitting .272 this postseason.

This story was originally published October 16, 2018 at 7:46 PM with the headline "Watch former Gamecocks smash homers run in big playoff moment for Red Sox."