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Red Sox pull off a true rarity: 16 runs, no extra-base hits

Josh Harrison, Jackie Bradley

Boston Red Sox’s Jackie Bradley steals second base ahead of the tag by Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Josh Harrison, left, during a baseball spring training exhibition game, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, in Bradenton, Fla. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

AP

In regular-season action since 1916, just one major league team had matched the feat the Red Sox accomplished today.

Aided by a whopping 15 bases on balls, the Red Sox routed the Pirates 16-6 on Thursday without ever collecting an extra-base hit. The amassed 14 hits, all of them singles. Top prospect Jackie Bradley Jr. went 3-for-5. and Brock Holt and Juan Carlos Linares both delivered two hits. The walks were more plentiful; utilityman Drew Sutton drew four, while David Ross and Lule Overbay collected two apiece.

The only major league team known to have done the same was the Royals on Aug. 6, 1979. They beat the Blue Jays 16-12 on 17 singles and seven walks. Pete LaCock had four hits in that one, while George Brett had two hits and four RBI. Rookie Dave Stieb was the loser for the Jays, giving up six runs in six innings.

After the Royals, the last team to score at least 11 runs in a game with no extra-base hits was the 1993 Tigers. They beat the Blue Jays 12-1 on 15 singles and six walks on June 12. Four teams since 2000 have scored 10 runs without an extra-base hit, the last being the Phillies. They beat the Cardinals 10-2 on 11 singles, nine walks and two HBPs on June 21, 2011.