On June 19, when the nine-game series at Fenway Park began, Pedroia had a .268 batting average. Gonzalez was hitting .260, remarkably short of the American League-leading .338 average he posted last season.
In nine days, the two have changed their fortunes. Pedroia collected nine hits during the stretch, lifting his average to .270, while Gonzalez — who had 12 hits — has raised his total to .269.
"He and Dustin look like they have a little thing going. They are both [hitting around] .270 and climbing," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said. "Adrian has a little more — he's as aggressive as he was before, but he's been a little more selective, and he's hitting the ball hard now."
During Wednesday's 10-4 win over Toronto, Gonzalez found success despite a drop in the order. After Gonzalez routinely hit cleanup in April and May, Valentine has slotted him down to fifth — behind Cody Ross and Jarrod Saltalamacchia — recently.
Gonzalez turned up his offensive production, recording two hits and three RBIs. His first at-bat, which was ruled a fielding error against Blue Jays' first baseman Edwin Encarnacion, was also hard hit.
"You should never get mad about where you are in the lineup, because you don't know how the game is going to unfold," Gonzalez said. "If I want to hit somewhere else, I might come up with nobody on base every time. Just happens that you never know how the game's going to unfold, so you should never get mad about where you're hitting."
Although the Red Sox first baseman homered Sunday, the power surge is still largely lacking. But for the entirety of the homestand, Gonzalez managed to finish with seven RBIs and three extra-base hits.
Meanwhile, Pedroia has started to overcome the obstacles that stem from the torn adductor muscle in his thumb. The second baseman drove in five runs and amassed four extra-base hits in the series.
"It all evens out," Pedroia said. "If a guy's struggling hitting, he's going to find a way to hit. If a team sucks at home for a while, they're going to go on streaks where they're undefeated at home. It's 162 games. Ride the wave."
That wave is going in Pedroia and Gonzalez's favor.
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