For the first time in a Red Sox uniform, Adrian Gonzalez is proving that he is human.
The All-Star first baseman is 2-for-24 since the break after another hitless effort in a 6-2 loss in Baltimore on Tuesday night.
For most players in the game, it's a stretch that would barely be mentioned, even in his own home. For Gonzalez, who hit .341 in May and .404 in June, it is enough to at least draw some increased attention, especially in light of his participation in the Home Run Derby during the break.
The event is often said to destroy the swings of its participants, despite sporadic quantitative proof. Gonzalez said that is not a factor in his uncharacteristic swoon.
"That's not an excuse," he said. "I think the days off is worse than anything else. I don't think the Home Run Derby had anything to do with it."
Gonzalez has swung at a handful of pitches out of the zone and has had his fair share of check swings, a sure sign of lack of recognition. He admits something is off.
"Timing. Timing. Getting ready late," he said when asked what's causing the slide. "Not recognizing pitches and swinging at pitches that I normally wouldn't swing at. Chasing sliders down in the zone that I usually just, you know, take no problem. When I get a pitch I foul it off. That's all it is. It's not a big deal. It's just a matter of repetition."
