But what happened just moments after that single and stolen base may offer up a better indication of any offensive outbursts that lie on the horizon. With Ellsbury now on third and one out in the top of the first, Adrian Gonzalez hammered the first of his two home runs on the night, giving Boston a lead it would never lose and potentially signaling that his power drought is over.
Gonzalez had not homered in 84 at-bats dating back to last month before the first-inning shot, his 19th of the year. He needed just two more at-bats to pick up his 20th, a mark he has now reached in six straight seasons.
The uber-confident All-Star felt it was just a matter of time before he found that stroke once again.
"You go through those stages where your timing is right, you go through those stages where your timing is off," he said. "The last couple of days I've been able to make some good adjustments and I'm feeling better. In Kansas City I hit some balls that I thought I hit pretty good and they were outs on the warning track. Hit three of those balls. Those swings made me feel better each time."
Gonzalez and others on the team might tell you that the number of home runs does not mean much. However, while he has maintained his lead in the race for the American League batting title, the thought of a non-slugging Gonzalez is not very appetizing. Or, better yet, the thought of a homer-happy Gonzalez is.
For one, it's not as if his average ever suffers. When he was hitting home runs at a steady rate in May and June, his average was soaring, as was Boston's offense. Also, with David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis on the sidelines (Ortiz will return Wednesday), there is a relative dearth of dangerous sluggers. Plenty of guys can hurt you, but not everyone is a home run threat every time he steps to the plate.
It's a nice development if Gonzalez has indeed rediscovered that form.
While the first homer, a ball yanked into the second deck in right, was nice to see, especially given the 23 days that came and went between longballs, it was the second — an opposite-field blast over the wall in left-center — that got the bench jumping.
"He turned on the first fastball and pulls it but then when he hits the ball to left field, that's the best sign of all," manager Terry Francona said. "He did that in Kansas City but it's just a big ballpark so you've got to keep that in perspective."
The theories on Gonzalez's home run drought focused on two items. Either the Home Run Derby had destroyed his swing, or a neck strain that caused him to miss a game earlier in the year was throwing him for a loop. Perhaps it was a combination of both.
However, neither scenario, nor their true impact, was easy to quantify. What was evident was the steely manner in which Gonzalez stared down the power slump and went about his business, only to finally find some results.
"He's the type of hitter who doesn't panic," Francona said. "He stays with his approach and he got rewarded for it."
And if it is a true sign of things to come, the Red Sox will be rewarded plenty down the stretch.
