'Muddy Chicken' Roasting In July
BOSTON (CBS) – Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is red-hot right now, and it is not just because of his new nickname.
The last two games Pedroia has driven in the go-ahead and eventual game-winning runs for Boston; an RBI single in the 16th inning against Tampa on Sunday and a two-run double in the eighth against Baltimore Monday night.
But his hot streak extends a lot further back than the last two games. Pedroia is riding a 16-game hitting streak, the longest current streak in the Majors. "The Muddy Chicken" (as he's been called lately) is batting .386 over the stretch with seven homers and six doubles. Six of those home runs have come in the last 10 games alone.
The stretch goes back even further though. Pedroia has a hit in 27 of the last 28 games, the only blemish on his game log an 0-for-3 showing against Cliff Lee and the Philadelphia Phillies. Hard to blame him for that.
While Pedroia has been crushing the ball and driving in important runs, as the number-two hitter in the lineup he is more focused on what he can do for the guys behind him.
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"I'm just trying to have good at-bats, get on base for the other guys. That's my job," he said after Monday night's 15-10 win over the Orioles.
When Pedroia's been getting on base, he's been scoring. He has crossed the plate 18 times during his current hit streak, including 12 in the last seven games. After a slow start, Pedey is now third on the team with 63 runs scored on the season.
Pedroia started the season off with two cold months in April and May as he came back from foot surgery. He was hitting just .239 on June 4, but 54 hits later his average is up to .295. This comes to no surprise to Red Sox manager Terry Francona.
"He's too good a player," Tito said of his clubhouse cribbage partner. "Just stay out of his way and let him play. He'll be right where he needs to be at the end; as long as he's healthy."
Pedroia was on pace to set new career highs last season when his foot injury derailed the campaign. Now with a much better lineup surrounding the Sox pesky second baseman, and a red-hot bat, look for those numbers to be challenged once again.
