By Sean McAdam
CSNNE.com Red Sox InsiderFollow @sean_mcadam
TORONTO -- This, finally, is more like it.
When the Red Sox added Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford to an already potent offense, it was projected that their lineup would dominate and perhaps score as many as a thousand runs.
For the first six weeks or so, however, the offense mostly sputtered. Gonzalez wasn't hitting for power and Crawford wasn't hitting at all. The bottom of the lineup, featuring the catching tandem of Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jason Varitek, was a virtual black hole.
Not now.
The Sox pasted the Toronto Blue Jays for 18 hits and a season-high 16 runs for a 16-4 laugher Saturday that saw every member of the starting lineup collect at least one RBI, and no fewer than six players enjoyed multihit games.
The breakout wasn't limited to Saturday, either. On their current road trip, the Red Sox are averaging slightly more than nine runs. In their current eight-game winning streak, the Sox are averaging 8.7 runs per game. And four times in the last 10 road games, the Sox have reached double figures in runs scored.
''I just think some guys are hitting their stride right now,'' said Terry Francona, ''and we seem to have a thicker lineup right now. That's the whole idea -- you don't want to give anyone any easy innings.''
Boston Red Sox
"Our whole lineup wasn't going well to start the season,'' said Varitek, who had four RBI (including a three-run homer). "But anytime you can stretch your lineup, it helps. We're still going to rely on the Gonzos and Pedeys and Youkilises and Davids, but now we've got Jacoby Ellbury getting on base all the time and it's like it just continues to turn that wheel.''
Gonzalez leads the majors in RBI, with 58 in 64 games, and has knocked in at least one run in each of the last eight games. David Ortiz has more homers than anyone in either league since the start of May.
But now Ellsbury and a rejuvenated Dustin Pedroia are getting on base regularly. And down at the bottom, the catching duo has eight homers since May 14 after going without one for the first six weeks.
The Sox are first in baseball in doubles (136), extra-base hits (222), total bases (999) and runs scored (336).
That sort of offense can offset temporary pitching issues and also demoralize an opponent.
The struggles of April and early May now seem like a distant memory. Was it really just a month ago that the Sox sported one of the worst team averages with runners in scoring position?
"We're having good at-bats, one through nine,'' said Pedroia. "They're long at-bats and we're trying to get starters out early and get into team's bullpens. Guys are putting great at-bats together at the right time.''
"We knew that different parts weren't good yet in our lineup,'' said Varitek. "But those people had success rates -- and that wasn't one or two people; it was multiple people -- that it would eventually play out where those people get into their normal groove and it compliments each other through the lineup.''
Sean McAdam can be reached at smcadam@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Sean on Twitter at http:twitter.comsean_mcadam