Red Sox Bats Heating Up, From Ellsbury To Crawford
BOSTON (CBS) – The Red Sox bats are starting to heat up and the offense is looking like the one the experts predicted to be "scary" before the season started.
David Ortiz is 5-for-12 with two home runs and five RBIs in the last three games.
Adrian Gonzalez hit his first Fenway home run in Boston's 7-3 win over the Angels on Tuesday, and has driven in five runs in the last two games.
Jacoby Ellsbury has a 12-game hit streak and is starting to wreak havoc at the top of the order. He has raised his batting average nearly 90 points and crossed the plate 12 times during the streak.
Even Carl Crawford is starting to hit the ball after a dismal April, recording three straight multi-hit games.
"We're starting to see Carl heat up a little bit and that will make a big difference," manager Terry Francona said after Tuesday night's 2-for-3 showing by Crawford. "If he's on (base), he can run."
Read: McAdam On T&R: Will Crawford Move Up In Lineup?
The most impressive part of the three-game hot streak for the Red Sox is it has come against three of the best pitchers in the American League. Sunday they managed a 3-2 win over the Mariners and reigning Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez, although it took a walk-off single by Crawford to get the job done. Monday night they chased Angels ace Jered Weaver after six innings and three runs, handing him his first loss of the season. Tuesday night they managed eight hits off Dan Haren and scored a season high four runs off the right-hander.
"This team is really good when it comes down to facing aces," Ortiz said. "I guess the concentration is even better when it comes down to that."
The at-bat that started the offensive outburst came from the Red Sox' leader Dustin Pedroia. Monday night the former MVP battled Weaver with a 13-pitch at bat in the fourth inning, staying alive by fouling off nine pitches before lining a two-run, go ahead single into center field.
Pedroia is only hitting .172 the last seven days, but a game-changing battle like that shows the poise of Boston's second baseman.
The Red Sox now sit at 14-15, and have a shot at their second four-game win streak of the season on Wednesday night.
If the offense can keep producing, the Red Sox could be over .500 for the first time this season sooner rather than later.
