Adrian Gonzalez Must Regain Power Stroke to Form Two-Headed Monster With David Ortiz

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Jun 26, 2012

Adrian Gonzalez Must Regain Power Stroke to Form Two-Headed Monster With David OrtizThe Red Sox lineup is inching closer and closer to gaining a sense of order. The problem is that such order doesn’t really mean much unless everyone is able to perform adequately within their roles.

David Ortiz is one guy who Red Sox fans mustn’t worry about, and his two home run effort against the Blue Jays on Monday night was another indication of that. Even though Ortiz had been mired in a brief 0-for-11 skid, it hardly qualifies as enough to be concerned about.

Adrian Gonzalez, despite hitting safely in his last six games, is a different story.

The Red Sox first baseman has put together better at-bats lately, evidenced by his 8-for-24 streak, but the lineup simply isn’t the same without Gonzalez consistently performing at an All-Star caliber level.

April struggles are easy to overlook. The phrase “April showers bring May flowers” really doesn’t apply to a player’s stat line, but it might as well, because as we’ve seen over the years, certain players are notoriously slow starters. When those struggles carry over into May and then June, however, it’s a bit alarming.

There’s no denying Gonzalez’s talent level, but there’s such a stark contrast between where the slugger is this season and where he was a year ago. For a long period of time last season, he was hands-down American League MVP, which spoke volumes about his importance in the Boston lineup.

Gonzalez hit .404 with six home runs and 25 RBIs in 25 June games last season. He’s currently batting .263 with the same six home runs and 39 RBIs through 72 total games this season. While it’s virtually impossible to maintain a pace similar to the one he had established last June, the Red Sox will need to see an increase in production, particularly in the power department, in order to hit a hot streak similar to last July’s.

What’s most alarming is that Gonzalez has historically fared well in June — not just last year, but every year. His career .304 average, .531 slugging percentage and .919 OPS in June are his best marks of any month, yet he’s just now showing signs of getting things going, with only a few more days before the calendar turns.

When the calendar does turn to July, Gonzalez will need to become the player he’s been in the past, which could perhaps come from the new sense of stability — something he hasn’t been able to enjoy this season.

Gonzalez spent 156 games at first base last season, and batted third in 147 games. This season, the whole Will MiddlebrooksKevin Youkilis positional battle, outfield injuries and Gonzalez’s obvious power outage have added up to Gonzo bouncing back and forth between the outfield and first base, as well as bouncing around the order. Gonzalez batted fifth on Monday, marking the eighth time he’s hit in that spot this season, while Jarrod Saltalamacchia assumed the cleanup role.

The fact of the matter is that Ortiz and Gonzalez have the potential to be a two-headed monster, but only one head has functioned to its complete capability. Now that Gonzalez will be firmly implanted at first base, the monster’s other half could soon come alive.

If and when that happens, it’ll be a threat to the AL East. For now, the beast is still taking shape.

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