Dustin Pedroia Must Get ‘Hotter Than a Firecracker’ for Red Sox to Sustain Success

Editor's note: NESN.com is going to tell the story of the 2012 Red Sox in Bobby Valentine’s words. Each game day, we will select the best Valentine quote that sums up the day for the Red Sox.

At the start of the season, Dustin Pedroia looked to finally have his MVP swagger back. The All-Star second baseman was hitting a scorching .321 in the middle of May and it seemed that no pitcher in the majors could legitimately cool down his bat.

An injury to Pedroia's right thumb has slowed his roll in recent weeks, though. And a little over a month since that steaming-hot bat appeared unsolvable, Pedroia has taken a steep fall from grace of late and watched as his average dipped all the way to a dismal .260.

The numbers look a lot worse when looking strictly at Pedroia's numbers since returning from the injury, too. In 15 games in June, Pedroia is hitting an unearthly .155 (9-for-58) with three extra-base hits, five RBIs and a whopping 10 strikeouts.

Clearly Pedroia is struggling to find his rhythm at the plate, but manager Bobby Valentine has seen progress in recent at bats.

"I thought his swings tonight were real good," Valentine said after Boston's 4-1 loss to Atlanta. "He just hasn't got the pitches he could really drive. He's looked good.

While the numbers certainly aren't lining up in Pedroia's favor, Valentine is confident that the scrappy second baseman will find his stroke. And soon.

"He'll get hot," an almost-certain Valentine said. "Hotter than a firecracker."

Clearly Valentine's confidence far exceeds that of most at this point, but it could also be wishful thinking as the Sox will need a healthy and productive Pedroia in order to sustain any sort of success this season.

The bats of Will Middlebrooks, Daniel Nava and Co. may be hot for the time being, but especially given their inexperience it's not something Boston can rely on all year. Pedroia, meanwhile, has been the consistent presence in the Sox lineup for the past six seasons. He's always provided a steady dose of production at the top of the lineup and Boston could use that old Pedroia now as much as ever.

If the Red Sox expect to continue to climb the AL East ladder and be in position to vie for a playoff spot come September, then it will be Pedroia's shoulders that will need to carry the load. He's as, if not more, vital to Boston's success as Adrian Gonzalez, Jon Lester or even David Ortiz — if you'll believe it.

So for Pedey to find a way and break out of his recent slump could very well be the missing piece that finally completes the Red Sox's puzzle of a season. Success is on the horizon, but it begins with Pedroia.