Maybe Adrian Gonzalez needed to get loose.
Whatever it was, the star first baseman for the Red Sox is now hitting the best he has all season. He has the highest mark on Boston's temperature gauge as the team heads to Texas to face a Rangers team that's also full of hot hitters.
Gonzalez was batting as low at .256 in late June, with his RBI and home run totals lagging behind, until he ratcheted it up going into the All-Star break. Gonzalez had an 18-game hitting streak (stopped only by a one-at-bat day when he left with illness). Coming out of the break, he's carried the Sox, recording at least two hits in six of his last eight games, including a couple of breakthrough multi-run homers. He's now hitting .296, his best of the season since April.
Jacoby Ellsbury, who rejoined the team right after the break, has also been torrid. He's had a hit in all but two games since he's been back, and his .333 average over that span has set the plate for several Red Sox rallies.
Texas has two guys making waves from the batter's box heading into Monday's game: Craig Gentry (.344, five-game hitting streak) and Elvis Andrus (10-game hitting streak). They're the hottest of a Rangers attack that has dominated several offensive categories this year.
Here are the Red Sox and Rangers temperatures for Monday, July 23.
Red Sox
Adrian Gonzalez 89
Jacoby Ellsbury 78
Cody Ross 77
Kelly Shoppach 72
Mike Aviles 72
Dustin Pedroia 70
Ryan Sweeney 69
Pedro Ciriaco 69
Nick Punto 68
Carl Crawford 65
Will Middlebrooks 55
Daniel Nava 51
Jarrod Saltalamacchia 47
Rangers
Craig Gentry 85
Elvis Andrus 82
Alberto Gonzalez 72
Mike Napoli 72
Nelson Cruz 72
Yorvit Torrealba 70
Adrian Beltre 69
Michael Young 68
David Murphy 68
Brandon Snyder 66
Ian Kinsler 66
Leonys Martin 57
Josh Hamilton 45
