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It started modestly with a few 1-for-4 games that featured a single a night in late June. But the drumbeat soon picked up, a 2-for-5, a 2-for-3, a 2-for-4, a 2-for-5.
Game after game, the hits have been coming for Adrian Gonzalez He entered the All-Star Break having hit in 18 of his last 19 contests, the only exception being an 0-for-1 night in the last game of the first half when he had to leave after one plate appearance due to illness.
But now, since his return after a slightly lengthened break (back spasms kept him out of the first two games of the second half), the first baseman has taken his performance to another level. Though Cody Ross delivered the biggest blows in the Red Sox' 10-1 victory over the White Sox, the most significant performance of the night may well have belonged to Gonzalez.
Gonzalez went 3-for-4, putting the Sox on the board after the White Sox scored in the top of the first with a game-tying RBI single to right in the bottom of the inning, wrapping up the Sox’ scoring with a two-run single to right in the sixth and, most significantly, blasting a home run over the Monster to left-center in the bottom of the fourth.
WEEI:Return of the real Adrian Gonzalez
Welcome back Adrian! It's great to see you return as the hitting machine that you are!
He's hit in 22 out of his last 23 games, has had multi hit games in 8 out of his last 13 and is hitting .404 since going back to playing first base full time, and because of it his batting average for the season has gone up 39 points since then. (.257 in June 19, .296 after last night's game). The two homers in three games is also an added bonus at this point. As long as he's able to hit and drive in runs, that's all that matters.
With Gonzalez hitting anything in sight again, it makes losing David Ortiz an easier pill to swallow. It also doesn't hurt that the two speed demons, Ellsbury & Crawford, are getting on base and making life hell for opposing pitchers.
It took a season and a half but we're finally seeing how scary good the offense could be with those two at the top of the order and then have Adrian or David Ortiz or even Cody Ross drive them in. It's nice to see everyone get hot and for Adrian's sake, it gets fans off of his back for a little bit.
Rest of the Links: Globe: Ross blasts away | Doubront first Sox pitcher with 10 wins | Crawford deals with racial slur, trade rumors | Herald: Cody Ross, Sox dig deep | Felix fulfills promise forseen by Bobby V | Ortiz on 15-day DL | Crawford soldiers on |CSNNE: Power's on | New rules change MLB's trade deadline| Will trade rumors affect Crawford's confidence? | WEEI: Ross rocks White Sox | Return of the real Adrian Gonzalez
