Editor's note: The temperature gauge is a Bill James-created statistic that measures how hot or cold hitters are. We will spotlight Red Sox and opposing team temperatures on game days.

The Red Sox' lineup has had a different look in recent weeks, with Pedro Ciriaco and Mauro Gomez among the new regulars who fill out the Boston batting order.

It's a group that has often looked overmatched but should still be able to pull together enough hits to vie for a win — like Tuesday night, when the Red Sox had the Yankees beat until a New York surge in the bottom of the ninth.

Boston will look to pull off the trick completely Wednesday night as the Sox line up for their last licks before the end of the season. They have one final chance to spoil the Yankees' postseason plans, with a New York loss and a Baltimore win relegating the Yankees to a one-game playoff with the Orioles to decide the fate of the American League East.

If the Yankees lose the division race, they will then have to win a one-game wild card playoff to keep their postseason going.

With plenty to play for, New York brings a stacked roster into Wednesday night's game. Robinson Cano has been ridiculously hot for the Bombers, pumping up his .308 average with eight straight games of two or more hits (a .571 average in that span).

Nick Swisher, with eight hits over his last four games, has also been hot, and the Yankees got a boost off the bench Tuesday night from Eduardo Nunez (2-for-3, double) and Raul Ibanez (2-for-3 with three RBIs as a pinch hitter, including the game-tying homer and the game-winning RBI single).

For the Red Sox, Dustin Pedroia continues to be the strongest hitter as the season ends, even as he plays through a finger injury. He was 2-for-5 with an RBI on Tuesday night.

Here are the hitting temperatures for the Red Sox and Yankees for Wednesday, Oct. 3:

Red Sox

Dustin Pedroia, 81
James Loney, 77
Che-Hsuan Lin, 73
Guillermo Quiroz, 73
Ryan Kalish, 72
Mike Aviles, 70
Scott Podsednik, 70
Pedro Ciriaco, 70
Danny Valencia, 66
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 63
Ivan De Jesus, 62
Mauro Gomez, 62
Jacoby Ellsbury, 58
Daniel Nava, 58
Cody Ross, 50
Jose Iglesias, 47
Ryan Lavarnway, 42

Yankees

Robinson Cano, 99
Nick Swisher, 95
Eduardo Nunez, 86
Raul Ibanez, 85
Eric Chavez, 77
Melky Mesa, 75
Francisco Cervelli, 74
Curtis Granderson, 73
Ichiro Suzuki, 73
Chris Dickerson, 72
Derek Jeter, 71
Chris Stewart, 71
Andruw Jones, 70
Brett Gardner, 70
Casey McGehee, 69
Alex Rodriguez, 67
Jayson Nix, 64
Mark Teixeira, 63
Russell Martin, 62

Editor's note: The temperature gauge is a Bill James-created statistic that measures how hot or cold hitters are. We will spotlight Red Sox and opposing team temperatures on game days.

If you can overlook the admitted PED use, then Alex Rodriguez is one of the greatest players in the history of baseball, long known for his offensive prowess and ability to hit the longball. But, right now, the Yankees third baseman is struggling with the bat — so much so that his temperature, lowest among New York's hitters, is only marginally higher than Red Sox shortstop Jose Iglesias.

While the Bronx Bombers are undoubtedly counting on Rodriguez to carry them through October, right now the team is more likely to get contributions from Robinson Cano or Nick Swisher. Even part-timer Eric Chavez comes into Tuesday as the Yankees' third-hottest hitter.

On the Red Sox' end, Dustin Pedroia was held out of Monday's lineup after suffering a fractured ring finger. However, even though the games don't mean anything for Boston, the second baseman continues to prove his total dedication to the game by attempting to play the last two games of the season with the injury.

Behind Pedroia, it should really say something about the quality of the Red Sox' lineup that Che-Hsuan Lin comes in as the team's second-hottest hitter. Granted Lin got two hits on Monday night, but the outfielder has a total of 12 at-bats on the season. In fact, the next three hottest hitters on the Sox — Ryan Kalish, Guillermo Quiroz and Mike Aviles — have all played exceedingly sparingly lately.

Check out the Red Sox' and Yankees' temperatures for Tuesday, Oct. 2 below:

Boston Red Sox
Dustin Pedroia 74
Che-Hsuan Lin 74
Ryan Kalish 73
Guillermo Quiroz 72
Mike Aviles 69
Scott Podsednik 69
Daniel Nava 67
Danny Valencia 64
James Loney 64
Jacoby Ellsbury 64
Jarrod Saltalamacchia 63
Pedro Ciriaco 62
Ivan De Jesus 61
Mauro Gomez 61
Cody Ross 55
Ryan Lavarnway 51
Jose Iglesias 48

New York Yankees
Robinson Cano 114
Nick Swisher 90
Eric Chavez 79
Mark Teixeira 78
Ichiro Suzuki 78
Eduardo Nunez 78
Melky Mesa 76
Curtis Granderson 73
Chris Dickerson 73
Francisco Cervelli 73
Chris Stewart 72
Raul Ibanez 72
Andruw Jones 69
Brett Gardner 69
Casey McGehee 68
Derek Jeter 67
Russell Martin 66
Jayson Nix 63
Alex Rodriguez 61

Editor's note: The temperature gauge
is a Bill James-created statistic that measures how hot or cold hitters
are. We will spotlight Red Sox and opposing team temperatures on game
days.

Mired in a tough stretch, the Boston Red Sox head into the final three games of the season with one of the usual suspects leading the way at the plate.

Dustin Pedroia has been the Red Sox' most consistent hitter in the second half of the season, regaining his form after a rough month of June. The second baseman posted a .307 average in the month of September and has hit safely in his last two games.

Pedroia has had success against the Yankees in 2012, going 13-for-40 (.325) with two doubles, three home runs and eight RBIs in 10 games.

The only other players coming in at or above the baseline 72 rating are Guillermo Quiroz — who has just two major-league at-bats — and Ryan Kalish, who has not registered an at-bat since Sept. 11 against these Yankees.

On the other side of the diamond, Robinson Cano has been raking of late and is leading the Yankees with a whopping 108 rating on the temperature gauge. Not only is Cano on a six-game hitting streak, but he has at least two hits in each game and has five home runs during the streak.

Veterans Eric Chavez, Nick Swisher and Ichiro Suzuki are all also on solid streaks. The trio hit a combined 13-for-37 (.351) in four games agains the Blue Jays with Chavez adding two home runs.

Here are the hitting temperatures for the Yankees and Red Sox for Monday, Oct. 1.

Red Sox

Dustin Pedroia, 75
Guillermo Quiroz, 73
Ryan Kalish, 72
Danny Valencia, 71
Pedro Ciriaco, 70
Mike Aviles, 68
Che-Hsuan Lin, 68
Scott Podsednik, 68
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 65
Cody Ross, 63
James Loney, 63
Daniel Nava, 63
Jacoby Ellsbury, 63
Ivan De Jesus, 59
Ryan Lavarnway, 57
Mauro Gomez, 56
Jose Iglesias, 51

Yankees

Robinson Cano, 108
Eric Chavez, 85
Nick Swisher, 82
Ichiro Suzuki, 82
Chris Dickerson, 77
Raul Ibanez, 73
Eduardo Nunez, 73
Mark Teixeira, 72
Brett Gardner, 72
Melky Mesa, 72
Francisco Cervelli, 72
Chris Stewart, 71
Derek Jeter, 70
Andruw Jones, 68
Alex Rodriguez, 68
Casey McGehee, 67
Russell Martin, 66
Curtis Granderson, 62
Jayson Nix, 61

Photo via Flickr/Keith Allison

Editor's note: The temperature gauge is a Bill James-created statistic that measures how hot or cold hitters are. We will spotlight Red Sox and opposing team temperatures on game days.

Jacoby Ellsbury will lead off and play center field for the Red Sox in Sunday afternoon's matchup against the Orioles, a good addition for a Boston lineup that has cooled off as of late.

Ellsbury returned to the lineup  Saturday after missing six games with a "little situation" and scored one of Boston's three runs in the 4-3 loss. He has been one of Boston's hottest hitters in the month of September, batting .306 with two home runs and 10 RBIs.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who hit his 25th home run of the year Saturday, will start the game on the bench as Ryan Lavarnway gets the nod behind home plate. Lavarnway went hitless Saturday and is 2-for-24 in his last seven games. 

Pacific Coast League MVP Mauro Gomez will bat cleanup and play first for the Red Sox. He did not have a hit but scored a run against the O's on Saturday.

The Orioles will have the scorching hot Chris Davis batting third for them as they try to take sole possession of first place in the American League East with a win and a Yankees loss. Davis hit a monster home run off of Felix Doubront on Saturday for his 30th of the year. He has now homered in each of the last three games for Baltimore. 

Here are the Red Sox and Orioles temperatures for Sunday, Sept. 30:

Red Sox

Dustin Pedroia, 76
Ryan Kalish, 73
Jacoby Ellsbury, 73
Guillermo Quiroz, 72
Scott Podsednik, 69
Danny Valencia, 68
Mike Aviles, 67
Che-Hsuan Lin, 67
James Loney, 65
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 64
Pedro Ciriaco, 62
Daniel Nava, 58
Ivan De Jesus, 58
Mauro Gomez, 57
Cody Ross, 57
Jose Iglesias, 47
Ryan Lavarnway, 47

Orioles

Chris Davis, 95
Manny Machado, 91
Ryan Flaherty, 85
Jim Thome, 76
Lew Ford, 75
Nate McLouth, 75
Xavier Avery, 73
Wilson Betemit, 73
Luis Exposito, 72
LJ Hoes, 72
Nick Markakis, 72
Taylor Teagarden, 72
Bill Hall, 72
Steve Tolleson, 71
Steve Pearce, 71
Omar Quintanilla, 68
Mark Reynolds, 68
J.J. Hardy, 64
Endy Chavez, 62
Matt Wieters, 59
Robert Andino, 58
Adam Jones, 51

Editor's
note: The temperature gauge is a Bill James-created statistic that measures how
hot or cold hitters are. We will spotlight Red Sox and opposing team
temperatures on game days.

Just when Boston didn't think it could get any worse, Chris Tillman
took the mound.

Tillman shut down the Red Sox' hitters, allowing just one hit over eight innings
of work on Friday, and left Boston fans begging for mercy. The Sox hoped they could play spoiler to the Orioles' late-season playoff push, but that seems like a stretch at this point, too.

The Boston offense has cooled off significantly, and that became painfully
apparent with the terrible outing against Tillman. The only Red Sox hitter to
record a hit was Scott Podsednik.

The issue for the Red Sox this season is that the year has been a tale of two teams. During the first half, the Sox were a run-scoring machine with fight and resolve that
wouldn't quit despite poor backing from the pitching staff. During this second half, the hitters have gone stale. The offense, or what's left of it, is still being led by
veterans Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia. Ellsbury has been the hottest player lately and will likely remain at the top for the rest of the
season.

Contrary to the Red Sox, the Orioles have everything to play for. Still locked in a tight race with New York, the O's are looking to
win the division outright and avoid a one-game playoff that could send them
home before their playoff run even begins.

This Orioles lit up Aaron Cook on Friday, led
offensively by Chris Davis, Ryan Flaherty and Manny
Machado. Veteran slugger Jim
Thome has also gotten in on the Birds' feeding frenzy, batting a healthy
.333 with a home run and six RBIs over his last six games.

Check
out the temperatures for both the Red Sox and Orioles for Saturday, Sept. 29,
below:

Red Sox

Jacoby Ellsbury, 80
Dustin Pedroia, 78
Mike Aviles, 72
Ryan Kalish, 72
Guillermo Quiroz, 71
Scott Podsednik, 69
Danny Valencia, 67
Che-Hsuan Lin, 66
James Loney, 64
Mauro Gomez, 63
Daniel Nava, 59
Pedro Ciriaco, 58
Cody Ross, 56
Ivan De Jesus, 56
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 51
Ryan Lavarnway, 47
Jose Iglesias, 46

Orioles

Chris Davis, 87
Ryan Flaherty, 86
Manny Machado, 82
Jim Thome, 77
Nate McLouth, 77
J.J. Hardy, 73
Bill Hall, 73
Xavier Avery, 72
Wilson Betemit, 72
Luis Exposito, 71
LJ Hoes, 71
Nick Markakis, 71
Matt Wieters, 71
Taylor Teagarden, 71
Steve Tolleson, 70
Lew Ford, 69
Mark Reynolds, 69
Omar Quintanilla, 67
Robert Andino, 64
Endy Chavez, 61
Adam Jones, 58

Editor's note: The temperature gauge is a Bill James-created statistic that measures how hot or cold hitters are. We will spotlight Red Sox and opposing team temperatures on game days.

Jacoby Ellsbury continues to remain sidelined by some cryptic "situation" which won't allow him to play, and that's unfortunate for the Red Sox as they open their second-to-last series of the year, being that the center fielder remains the hottest hitter in the Sox' lineup.

That being said, Dustin Pedroia is right on his heels, as over his last five games the second baseman has gone 7-for-19 with three doubles, living up to his billing as the "laser show."

Since coming back from missing a few games to be with his family for the birth of his second child, Pedroia had cooled down significantly after a hot stretch that lasted the better part of August and first couple weeks of September. However, Pedroia looks to be right back on track, and though some hand issues early in the season have tempered his overall numbers a bit, for most of the season Pedroia has been his same old self with the bat.

Behind those two, the hottest hitters in the Red Sox clubhouse are those seeing irregular-to-sporadic playing time, save for Scott Podsednik, who's seen a lot of time in center field and the leadoff role with Ellsbury riding the pine. James Loney also continues to show a hot glove at first base, but a lukewarm bat at the plate.

For the Orioles, Chris Davis clocks in red hot, posting a .959 OPS over 93 plate appearances in September. Behind him, rookie Manny Machado has been a revelation at third base, not just solidifying the position but adding another weapon to Baltimore's arsenal.

Check out the temperatures for both the Red Sox and Orioles for Friday, Sept. 28 below:

Boston Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury 81
Dustin Pedroia 78
Ryan Kalish 73
Guillermo Quiroz 72
Mike Aviles 71
Scott Podsednik 70
James Loney 68
Danny Valencia 66
Che-Hsuan Lin 65
Ivan De Jesus 64
Mauro Gomez 62
Daniel Nava 61
Cody Ross 60
Jarrod Saltalamacchia 58
Pedro Ciriaco 54
Jose Iglesias 50
Ryan Lavarnway 48

Baltimore Orioles
Chris Davis 92
Manny Machado 83
Nate McLouth 78
J.J. Hardy 74
Ryan Flaherty 73
Luis Exposito 72
Nick Markakis 72
Matt Wieters 72
Bill Hall 72
Xavier Avery 71
Wilson Betemit 71
LJ Hoes 70
Taylor Teagarden 70
Steve Tolleson 69
Lew Ford 68
Jim Thome 68
Adam Jones 66
Mark Reynolds 66
Omar Quintanilla 66
Robert Andino 63
Endy Chavez 60

Editor’s note: The temperature gauge
is a Bill James-created statistic that measures how hot or cold hitters
are. We will spotlight Red Sox and opposing team temperatures on game
days.

Dustin Pedroia has been one of the Red Sox’ most consistent players all season despite injuries and a slow start to the season. The second baseman enters Wednesday night as the team’s high-water mark when it comes to hitting.

Pedroia takes the crown of hottest hitter in the absence of Jacoby Ellsbury, who would be the leader if not missing several games due to injury. Pedroia has had at least two hits and a double in each of the last three games, going 6-for-13 with two runs scored and raising his average to .290 for the year.

After Ellsbury and Pedroia, things drop off a bit. Scott Podsednik, Mike Aviles and Ryan Kalish all come in at an even 72 on the temperature gauge, with everyone else on the roster falling below the midpoint of the scale.

As for the Rays, Jeff Keppinger has been the hottest hitter of late and is coming off a two-hit night in which he took Clay Buchholz deep. The Rays infielder is 9-for-22 with two home runs and six RBI during the team’s six-game winning streak.

Nine Rays players come into Wednesday night’s game above the 72 rating on the temperature gauge, which does not bode well for Jon Lester, who takes the hill Wednesday night in search of his 10th win.

Here are the hitting temperatures for the Rays and Red Sox for Wednesday, Sept. 26.

Red Sox

Jacoby Ellsbury, 82
Dustin Pedroia, 81
Scott Podsednik, 72
Mike Aviles, 72
Ryan Kalish, 72
Guillermo Quiroz, 71
Daniel Nava, 69
James Loney, 68
Danny Valencia, 65
Pedro Ciriaco, 65
Che-Hsuan Lin, 64
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 64
Ivan De Jesus, 63
Mauro Gomez, 61
Jose Iglesias, 58
Cody Ross, 56
Ryan Lavarnway, 50

Rays

Jeff Keppinger, 92
Jose Molina, 89
Evan Longoria, 87
Ben Zobrist, 84
Carlos Pena, 80
B.J. Upton, 77
Sean Rodriguez, 73
Reid Brignac, 73
Desmond Jennings, 72
Jose Lobaton, 71
Stephen Vogt, 70
Chris Gimenez, 69
Rich Thompson, 69
Elliot Johnson, 68
Luke Scott, 68
Ben Francisco, 68
Ryan Roberts, 67
Sam Fuld, 64
Matt Joyce, 62

Editor's note: The temperature gauge is a Bill James-created statistic that measures how hot or cold hitters are. We will spotlight Red Sox and opposing team temperatures on game days.

Jacoby Ellsbury may not be in the starting lineup Tuesday, but he's still the Red Sox' hottest hitter at the plate. The fact that Ellsbury missed the entire weekend set with the Baltimore Orioles and will now sit out the first game, and yes is still rated higher than any other player on the temperature gauge should say something about the current state of the Boston lineup — and what that says isn't good.

So while the Sox await the return of Ellsbury — who apparently wanted to play on Tuesday — Dustin Pedroia remains as Boston's hottest hitter. However, hot is a relative term in this case, as Pedroia has cooled down considerably after staying red hot for most of August and a couple weeks into September. Over his last nine games, the diminutive second baseman has gone just 7-for-36, with only two extra base hits and three RBIs.

But perhaps the real surprise of Tuesday's temperature gauge is on the Rays' end, with veteran catcher Jose Molina enjoying one of the best stretches of his life. Owning just a .238 career batting average, the 37-year-old has gone 7-for-14 over his last five games, including two doubles, two home runs and six RBIs.

Check our the temperatures for the Rays and Red Sox for Tuesday, Sept. 25 below:

Boston Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury 83
Dustin Pedroia 76
Daniel Nava 74
Che-Hsuan Lin 73
Ryan Kalish 73
Guillermo Quiroz 72
Scott Podsednik 71
Mike Aviles 71
Pedro Ciriaco 69
Mauro Gomez 69
Jose Iglesias 68
James Loney 67
Jarrod Saltalamacchia 63
Ivan De Jesus 61
Danny Valencia 59
Cody Ross 58
Ryan Lavarnway 56

Tampa Bay Rays
Jose Molina 87
Evan Longoria 86
Desmond Jennings 85
Jeff Keppinger 85
Ben Zobrist 84
B.J. Upton 84
Carlos Pena 80
Luke Scott 78
Jose Lobaton 72
Sean Rodriguez 72
Reid Brignac 72
Stephen Vogt 69
Chris Gimenez 68
Rich Thompson 68
Elliot Johnson 67
Ben Francisco 67
Ryan Roberts 66
Matt Joyce 64
Sam Fuld 63

Editor's note: The temperature gauge is a Bill James-created statistic that measures how hot or cold hitters are. We will spotlight Red Sox and opposing team temperatures on game days.

The Red Sox were looking to get their hottest hitter back in the lineup on Sunday, but Jacoby Ellsbury was scratched after appearing in the original lineup. Ellsbury hasn't played since coming off the bench in the series finale against the Rays on Thursday, and Scott Podsednik will take over in center field and lead off in his place Sunday.

Pedro Ciriaco, who is getting some time at second base, had two hits in each of the first two games of the series, scoring one of the six Red Sox runs in Saturday's extra-innings loss. Daniel Nava will also try to keep his hot bat going after having a 2-for-3 outing with two walks Saturday.

Adam Jones, who has hit home runs in two of his last three games, has tortured Boston pitching in the first two games of the series and is one of Baltimore's hottest hitters coming into Sunday.

Here are the temperature gauges for the Orioles and Red Sox for Sunday, Sept. 23:

Red Sox

Jacoby Ellsbury, 84
Pedro Ciriaco, 76
Daniel Nava, 74
Jose Iglesias, 74
Ryan Kalish, 72
Guillermo Quiroz, 71
Scott Podsednik, 70
Mike Aviles, 70
Mauro Gomez, 70
Dustin Pedroia, 68
Danny Valencia, 63
James Loney, 61
Ivan De Jesus, 59
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 57
Ryan Lavarnway, 57
Cody Ross, 50

Orioles

Matt Wieters, 90
Adam Jones, 86
Ryan Flaherty, 85
Nick Markakis, 73
Steve Tolleson, 73
Chris Davis, 72
Luis Exposito, 71
Robert Andino, 70
Xavier Avery, 67
Wilson Betemit, 67
Taylor Teagarden, 66
Jim Thome, 64
Nate McLouth, 64
Manny Machado, 63
Endy Chavez, 62
Omar Quintanilla, 61
Mark Reynolds, 60
Lew Ford, 60
J.J. Hardy, 51

Editor's note: The temperature gauge is a Bill James-created statistic that measures how hot or cold hitters are. We will spotlight Red Sox and opposing team temperatures on game days.

Throughout his professional career, the refrain surrounding shortstop Jose Iglesias has always been the same: he's an amazing hitter, but can the youngster hit enough to stick in the big leagues? Well, just a couple days after being lifted for a pinch hitter in the middle of an at-bat, Iglesias temporarily exercised some demons and broke out offensively.

On Thursday, Iglesias went 3-for-4 and hit a home run that didn't just barely clear the wall, but would qualify as a prodigious blast several rows deep into the left field stands. Good for Igelsias, but moreover it's good for the Red Sox, as if the 22-year-old can carry his weight with the bat, then Boston may have a long-term answer at shortstop on their hands.

Mauro Gomez also got a couple hits on Thursday, and in limited action with the Sox he's indicated that his impressive Triple-A numbers may not be a fluke, and the 28-year-old may just be a late bloomer. First base is another slot in which the Red Sox don't have a definite future, so as the season winds down it will be very interesting to see if Gomez can stay relatively hot at the plate.

Aside from that, Jacoby Ellsbury gets the night off, but he's still the Red Sox' hottest hitter, while Nate McLouth leads the way for the Orioles during their magical run to the postseason.

Here are the temperatures for the Orioles and Red Sox for Friday, Sept. 21:

Baltimore Orioles
Nate McLouth 86
Adam Jones 77
Ryan Flaherty 76
Steve Tolleson 75
Matt Wieters 74
Nick Markakis 73
Luis Exposito 71
J.J. Hardy 66
Xavier Avery 65
Wilson Betemit 65
Taylor Teagarden 64
Endy Chavez 64
Lew Ford 60
Chris Davis 60
Omar Quintanilla 59
Manny Machado 58
Mark Reynolds 57
Robert Andino 53

Boston Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury 86
Mauro Gomez 82
Jose Iglesias 74
Ryan Kalish 72
Guillermo Quiroz 69
James Loney 67
Ryan Lavarnway 66
Mike Aviles 66
Pedro Ciriaco 64
Cody Ross 60
Dustin Pedroia 57
Jarrod Saltalamacchia 55
Ivan De Jesus 53
Daniel Nava 52
Scott Podsednik 51

Jacoby Ellsbury is red-hot at the plate right now, but he won't be in the Red Sox lineup on Thursday night when they close out their series with the Rays.

Ellsbury has been heating up as of late, and he only built on that hot stretch on Wednesday night in a loss to Tampa Bay.

Ellsbury collected three more hits on Thursday night, and he's now hitting .435 in his last six games. He's added in four walks over that time to give him a .519 on-base percentage since Sept. 14.

However, the Boston center fielder won't be in the lineup on Thursday night.

Here are the temperatures for the Red Sox and Rays for Sept. 20.

Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, 99
Mauro Gomez, 74
Ryan Kalish, 73
Pedro Ciriaco, 69
Guillermo Quiroz, 68
James Loney, 66
Mike Aviles, 65
Dustin Pedroia, 62
Daniel Nava, 62
Ryan Lavarnway, 57
Cody Ross, 55
Jose Iglesias, 54
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 54
Ivan De Jesus, 52
Scott Podsednik, 48

Rays
Carlos Pena, 84
Jeff Keppinger, 80
Ben Zobrist, 76
Stephen Vogt, 71
Evan Longoria, 70
Jose Lobaton, 70
Luke Scott, 70
Reid Brignac, 70
Jose Molina, 69
Sean Rodriguez, 68
Rich Thompson, 67
Chris Gimenez, 66
B.J. Upton, 66
Desmond Jennings, 66
Ben Francisco, 65
Matt Joyce, 64
Elliot Johnson, 63
Sam Fuld, 59
Ryan Roberts, 54

Editor's note: The temperature gauge is a Bill James-created statistic that measures how hot or cold hitters are. We will spotlight Red Sox and opposing team temperatures on game days.

Jacoby Ellsbury has had another injury-plagued season, and thus, his numbers are a far cry from 2011 when he warranted MVP consideration.

However, Ellsbury has shown signs of reverting to that form as of late, as he tries to end 2011 on a high note. 

The Red Sox center fielder has at least one hit in 12 of 15 games in September, and has really turned it on recently. He's hitting .382 in his last eight games to go along with a home run and six RBIs.

See the temperature report for the Red Sox and Rays below.

Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, 88
Mauro Gomez, 77
James Loney, 72
Ryan Kalish, 72
Dustin Pedroia, 70
Ryan Lavarnway, 67
Pedro Ciriaco, 65
Mike Aviles, 64
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 62
Cody Ross, 62
Daniel Nava, 62
Ivan De Jesus, 54
Jose Iglesias, 53
Scott Podsednik, 49

Rays
Ben Zobrist, 79
Carlos Pena, 75
Rich Thompson, 72
Stephen Vogt, 72
Reid Brignac, 72
Jose Lobaton, 69
Elliot Johnson, 67
Sean Rodriguez, 67
Evan Longoria, 65
Chris Gimenez, 65
Ben Francisco, 65
B.J. Upton, 61
Jeff Keppinger, 60
Jose Molina, 58
Sam Fuld, 58
Desmond Jennings, 54
Ryan Roberts, 54
Luke Scott, 54
Matt Joyce, 48

Boston will get a different perspective of the race for the pennant
this year. Last year, they had their postseason hopes spoiled and this year,
they have a chance to be the spoiler. The Sox will finish the season with 14 straight games against AL East
opponents who are fighting for a playoff spot. 

The key to upsetting the Rays, Orioles and Yankees is Boston’s offense, which has scored 692 runs this season, good enough for
seventh most in the league. As of late the
offense has been fueled by Dustin
Pedroia, but Jacoby Ellsbury has come around in recent days, making him the
hottest hitter in the Red Sox lineup. Over
the last seven games Ellsbury has hit for a .400 average with a home run and
five RBIs.

The Tampa Bay Rays, meanwhile, are coming into Tuesday’s game slumping
at the worst possible time. As the Yankees and Orioles duke it out for first place in the division,
the Rays are stuck at 5 1/2 games back and have to deal with a Red
Sox team that will just not lay down. Complicating matters is that Rays just
cannot seem to find any offense right now. According
to the temperature gauge, Ben Zobrist is their hottest hitter registering at
just a 74, so the Rays will need to find their swings on Tuesday if they hope to remain in
the race.

The game starts at 7:10 p.m. ET and will feature Felix
Doubront facing off against Jeremy Hellickson. Here are the temperature gauges for the Red Sox and Rays for Tuesday, Sept. 18.

Red Sox

Jacoby Ellsbury 92
Dustin Pedroia 79
Mauro Gomez 78
Ryan Kalish 73
James Loney 71
Jarrod Saltalamacchia 67
Pedro Ciriaco 64
Mike Aviles 63
Daniel Nava 61
Jose Iglesias 58
Cody Ross 55
Ryan Lavarnway 54
Ivan De Jesus 53
Scott Podsednik 49

Tampa Bay

Ben Zobrist 74
Chris Gimenez 74
Rich Thompson 71
Carlos Pena 71
Stephen Vogt 71
Reid Brignac 71
Ben Francisco 69
Jose Lobaton 68
Evan Longoria 68
Ryan Roberts 67
Sean Rodriguez 67
Elliot Johnson 66
B.J. Upton 61
Jeff Keppinger 59
Jose Molina 57
Sam Fuld 57
Luke Scott 55
Desmond Jennings 49
Matt Joyce 48

Editor's note: The temperature gauge
is a Bill James-created statistic that measures how hot or cold hitters
are. We will spotlight Red Sox and opposing team temperatures on game
days.

As has been the case for much of the season, Dustin Pedroia is the hottest bat in the Boston Red Sox lineup. Not even a couple of days off to welcome his new son into the world could slow down Pedroia.

The Red Sox open a four-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, with Alex Cobb tasked with trying to cool down the second baseman's bat. Pedroia has only faced Cobb three times in his career and is yet to get a hit.

Jacoby Ellsbury went 1-for-3 on Sunday and is still cooling down after having his six-game hitting streak snapped on Saturday. Ellsbury was 10-for-27 with a home run and four RBIs during the streak.

Pedroia and the Red Sox, who have been officially eliminated from the
playoffs and are ready to play spoiler for the next 15 games, will aim
to continue producing against the Rays.

Here are the hitting temperatures for the Red Sox and Rays for Monday, Sept. 17.

Boston Red Sox

Dustin Pedroia, 90
Jacoby Ellsbury, 77
Mauro Gomez, 73
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 72
Pedro Ciriaco, 72
Ryan Kalish, 72
James Loney, 62
Mike Aviles, 62
Cody Ross, 61
Ryan Lavarnway, 60
Jose Iglesias, 59
Daniel Nava, 59
Ivan De Jesus, 54
Scott Podsednik, 52

Tampa Bay Rays

Ben Zobrist, 81
Chris Gimenez, 79
Stephen Vogt, 74
Ben Francisco, 73
Rich Thompson, 72
Ryan Roberts, 72
Sean Rodriguez, 71
Reid Brignac, 70
Carlos Pena, 67
Jose Lobaton, 67
Evan Longoria, 67
Elliot Johnson, 65
Jeff Keppinger, 61
Desmond Jennings, 58
Matt Joyce, 56
Sam Fuld, 56
Jose Molina, 55
Luke Scott, 50
B.J. Upton, 44

Editor's note: The temperature gauge is a Bill James-created statistic that measures how hot or cold hitters are. We will spotlight Red Sox and opposing team temperatures on game days.

Cody Ross has been one of the few bright spots for the
Red Sox in 2012, and he'll look to continue that Sunday afternoon as Boston aims to complete a three-game
sweep of the Blue Jays.

Ross homered in the second inning and also scored in the fourth as part of a 3-2 Red Sox victory on Saturday.

Jon Lester will take the mound for Boston after having major command issues in his last start against the Yankees, walking a career-high seven batters. Opposing Lester will be right-hander Brandon Morrow, who has pitched well for Toronto this season.

The Red Sox and Blue Jays are tied for last place in the AL East going into Sunday, each sitting 16 1/2 games behind the Yankees, and neither team wants to be in the cellar. A sweep of the Blue Jays would be Boston's first since going 3-0 the Marlins in mid-June.

Here are the hitting temperatures for the Red Sox and Blue Jays for Sunday, Sept. 16:

Red Sox

Dustin Pedroia, 91
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 79
Mauro Gomez, 75
Jacoby Ellsbury, 74
Ryan Kalish, 73
Pedro Ciriaco, 69
James Loney, 67
Cody Ross, 65
Jose Iglesias, 63
Mike Aviles, 61
Daniel Nava, 60
Scott Podsednik, 54
Ryan Lavarnway, 54
Ivan De Jesus, 53

Blue Jays

Adam Lind, 82
Edwin Encarnacion, 80
Jeff Mathis, 72
Mike McCoy, 72
Yan Gomes, 71
Anthony Gose, 71
Omar Vizquel, 70
Adeiny Hechavarria, 67
Brett Lawrie, 67
Colby Rasmus, 67
Yorvit Torrealba, 62
Yunel Escobar, 59
Moises Sierra, 56
Kelly Johnson, 53
Rajai Davis, 52
J.P. Arencibia, 48

While Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia celebrated the birth of his second child with his wife, Kelli, on Friday, his teammates began a three-game set with the Blue Jays in Toronto.

Some good hitting and a solid outing by Daisuke Matzsuzaka led the struggling Sox to an 8-5 victory in their opening game with the Jays. With the return of Pedroia, the Red Sox should expect even more offensive production — the 2008 MVP has been on a hot streak over his last seven games, batting a scorching .467 with two home runs and three RBIs.

Toronto, which has also had its fair share of struggles this year, remains just one game ahead of the visiting Red Sox for sole posession of fourth place in the division. The offense took a major hit earlier this season when home run machine Jose Bautista was sidelined for the season with an injury to his hand. Even without Bautista, though, the Blue Jay bats have still made some noise behind the leadership of first baseman Adam Lind, who is batting .281 over the last 30 games as well as Edwin Encarnacion, who became just the second Blue Jay ever to record 40 home runs in a regular season. Lind went 2-for-4 with a double, triple and RBI during Friday's game.

Check out the hitting temperatures for the Red Sox and Blue Jays below.

Red Sox

Dustin Pedroia, 103
Mauro Gomez, 76
Jacoby Ellsbury, 75
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 73
Daniel Nava, 72
Ryan Kalish, 72
Mike Aviles, 67
Ryan Lavarnway, 63
Jose Iglesias, 62
Pedro Ciriaco, 61
Cody Ross, 60
James Loney, 58
Scott Podsednik, 53
Ivan De Jesus, 51

Blue Jays

Adam Lind, 83
Edwin Encarnacion, 79
Jeff Mathis, 73
Mike McCoy, 73
Colby Rasmus, 71
Yan Gomes, 70
Omar Vizquel, 69
Brett Lawrie, 69
Yorvit Torrealba, 67
Adeiny Hechavarria, 66
Anthony Gose, 64
Yunel Escobar, 58
Moises Sierra, 57
Kelly Johnson, 57
Rajai Davis, 57
J.P. Arencibia, 47

Dustin Pedroia

One certainly can't blame Pedroia for spending this week with his family, but the void left by the All-Star's absence is one that's hard to fill. Pedroia's presence in the lineup is always important, and the second baseman has been especially hot of late.

Pedroia was 5-for-9 with two home runs and three RBIs heading into Wednesday's contest, and he continued his hot streak by collecting two hits before exiting upon hearing the news about his wife. It's unclear when Pedroia will return to the Boston lineup, but the rest of the Red Sox hitters will need to elevate their game in the meantime.

Mike Aviles will be playing second base on Friday, and while he's collected hits in three straight games, he's had a difficult September overall, batting .156 (5-for-32) with a .229 on-base percentage and no home runs. Jose Iglesias, who gets the call at shortstop, has also struggled at the plate, hitting a miniscule .083 (2-for-24) in his limited action this season.

The Red Sox and Blue Jays temperatures for Sept. 14 are below.

Red Sox
Dustin Pedroia, 104
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 74
Ryan Kalish, 73
Jacoby Ellsbury, 72
Daniel Nava, 69
Mauro Gomez, 67
Mike Aviles, 66
James Loney, 65
Pedro Ciriaco, 62
Jose Iglesias, 60
Cody Ross, 58
Scott Podsednik, 52
Ryan Lavarnway, 49
Ivan De Jesus, 49

Blue Jays
Edwin Encarnacion, 80
Jeff Mathis, 74
Colby Rasmus, 74
Adam Lind, 73
Anthony Gose, 73
Mike McCoy, 72
Yan Gomes, 69
Omar Vizquel, 68
Yorvit Torrealba, 66
Adeiny Hechavarria, 65
Rajai Davis, 63
Kelly Johnson, 60
Yunel Escobar, 59
Moises Sierra, 57
Brett Lawrie, 55
J.P. Arencibia, 52

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Dustin Pedroia has been tearing it up lately for the Red Sox, and seems poised to put the team on his back to carry them across the finish line.

Boston might not have much to play for these days from a postseason standpoint, but considering their opponents, every loss the Sox can deal out will have an impact on the playoff picture.

Pedroia is playing as if the Sox are still in the thick of things, going 5-for-8 with two home runs in the team’s last two games. After fighting through nagging injuries for much of this season, Pedey could be finally putting things together at an innoportune time for anybody expecting the Sox to roll over down the stretch.

Wednesday brings another game against the New York Yankees, which Pedroia’s infield partner Pedro Ciriaco must relish. While Ciriaco has batted just .265 against teams not named the Yankees, he owns a robust .486 mark against the Bronx Bombers and scored the winning run against them on Tuesday.

Here are the current Red Sox and Yankees temperatures.

Boston Red Sox
Dustin Pedroia 101
Jacoby Ellsbury 79
Cody Ross 75
Ryan Kalish 73
Mauro Gomez 72
Ivan De Jesus 71
Daniel Nava 67
Pedro Ciriaco 65
Jose Iglesias 64
Jarrod Saltalamacchia 64
Scott Podsednik 57
Mike Aviles 56
James Loney 51
Ryan Lavarnway 48

New York Yankees
Derek Jeter 91
Russell Martin 82
Ichiro Suzuki 75
Chris Stewart 74
Robinson Cano 73
Francisco Cervelli 72
Chris Dickerson 69
Mark Teixeira 68
Eduardo Nunez 68
Steve Pearce 67
Curtis Granderson 66
Alex Rodriguez 66
Andruw Jones 66
Casey McGehee 57
Jayson Nix 57
Raul Ibanez 56
Nick Swisher 53
Eric Chavez 53

On July 18, the New York Yankees were up 10 games on the Baltimore Orioles and
seemed to have all but locked up another American League East title. Apparently
somebody forgot to tell that to Buck Showalter
and his Orioles, who have come storming back and are very much alive in
the pennant race.

Amidst what could be the most epic regular-season collapse in the history of Major League Baseball, several Yankee hitters have been able to stay hot and keep the defending AL East champions in contention for their 18th league title.

Yankee captain Derek Jeter has led the charge over the last 30 games, batting a blistering .360 with seven home runs and 15 RBIs. Ichiro Suzuki has also carried some of the Yankee offense on his shoulders with a batting average of
.325 with a pair of homers over his last 30. The Bronx Bombers have taken a major
offensive hit, though, as first baseman Mark
Teixeira will likely return to the disabled list after rushing
back into the lineup.

The Yankees come to Boston on Tuesday night to face off against a Red
Sox team that has cooled down exponentially over the last month. With the departure of Adrian Gonzalez and the injury to third baseman Will Middlebrooks, Boston has lost its
offensive spark and continues to limp toward the finish line. Despite going 10-27 since Aug. 1, though, there
are some signs of life and reasons to be excited for next season

Dustin Pedroia refuses
to quit and is carrying much of the offensive load for the struggling Sox, batting
a respectable .289 this season and .343 over his last 30 games. Cody
Ross has also been a contributor, driving in 15 runs this past month.

Here are the current Red Sox’ and Yankees’ hitting temperatures:

Red Sox
Dustin Pedroia, 88
Cody Ross, 80
Ryan Kalish, 76
Mauro Gomez, 72
Ivan De Jesus, 69
Daniel Nava, 69
Jose Iglesias, 63
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 63
Jacoby Ellsbury, 62
Scott Podsednik, 60
James Loney, 59
Ryan Lavarnway, 59
Mike Aviles, 56
Pedro Ciriaco, 50

Yankees
Derek Jeter, 93
Russell Martin, 83
Robinson Cano, 83
Alex Rodriguez, 81
Ichiro Suzuki, 79
Steve Pearce, 75
Chris Stewart, 75
Francisco Cervelli, 73
Curtis Granderson, 70
Chris Dickerson, 68
Mark Teixeira, 67
Eduardo Nunez, 67
Casey McGehee, 56
Andruw Jones, 56
Raul Ibanez, 55
Eric Chavez, 52
Jayson Nix, 51
Nick Swisher, 42

Editor's note: The temperature gauge is a Bill James-created statistic that measures how hot or cold hitters are. We will spotlight Red Sox and opposing team temperatures on game days.

The Red Sox bats have been as cold as can be in recent weeks. Even Dustin Pedroia, who had a 15-game hitting streak and was keeping the Sox afloat amidst a dreadful West Coast trip, cooled off as rain swept Fenway Park this weekend.

But two Boston hitters — Cody Ross and Ryan Kalish — have been showing they still have the goods to get some runs on the board for the home team.

Ross is batting .280 this season with 20 home runs and 73 RBIs. Amidst all the turmoil the Red Sox have faced, Ross has been a huge bright spot, providing momentous home runs and bringing a great presence in right field and at the plate. He carried a five-game hitting streak into Saturday's game, and although he went hitless Saturday, he's shown an ability to get to the Blue Jays (.349 OBP).

Kalish has been in an out of the lineup for the Sox, but he gets the start in right field on Sunday as Ross takes the designated hitter role. He was 1-for-2 against the Jays on Friday night and is 4-for-9 against Toronto pitchers in his career.

Here are the hitting temperatures for the Red Sox and Blue Jays for Sunday, Sept. 9:

Red Sox

Dustin Pedroia, 79
Ryan Kalish, 75
Cody Ross, 73
Mauro Gomez, 71
Ivan De Jesus, 66
Mike Aviles, 63
Jose Iglesias, 62
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 62
Scott Podsednik, 62
James Loney, 60
Pedro Ciriaco, 54
Jacoby Ellsbury, 54
Ryan Lavarnway, 53

Blue Jays

Edwin Encarnacion, 77
Anthony Gose, 76
Yunel Escobar, 72
Omar Vizquel, 72
Mike McCoy, 70
Brett Lawrie, 69
Adeiny Hechavarria, 69
Yan Gomes, 65
Moises Sierra, 65
J.P. Arencibia, 64
Colby Rasmus, 62
Adam Lind, 62
Yorvit Torrealba, 62
Kelly Johnson, 59
Rajai Davis, 57
Jeff Mathis, 49