ARLINGTON, Texas -- After a strong first month at the plate, shortstop Mike Aviles has cooled off considerably. His batting average, sitting at .291 at the end of April, had dipped to .260 before Tuesday's game, with his on-base percentage a lowly .283.
But one thing about Aviles hasn't changed: he's still a tough out in a big spot. And in the top of the ninth inning Tuesday night, he delivered a soft liner just over the glove of Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus, scoring Daniel Nava with what turned out to be the winning run in the Red Sox' 2-1 victory over the Rangers.
Aviles has 51 RBI, placing him second on the team to David Ortiz in that category. Going into Tuesday, he was hitting a robust .338 with runners in scoring position.
"That's been my main focus this year," said Aviles. "Not that I give away at-bats when there's no one on base, but I told myself to make sure I focus even more when there's people on base, because I know what kind of team we have and I know what kind of pitching staff we have. I know they go out and compete and give us a chance to win every day.
"I know if we can put any runs on the board, it helps out. I also know how potent this offense is. I told myself if I can bear down with people on base and keep the chain moving, I know we can put together some good innings."
Aviles has come through time and time again in those spots, and that success helped him in the at-bat against Texas closer Joe Nathan.
"I think it definitely helps," he said. "In that situation, hitting ninth, I've got Jacoby (Ellsbury), I've got 1-2-3 coming up after me. So if I can just turn the lineup over and get those guys up, they're elite players. I know if I can turn it over and get on base, I can also score for those guys.
Boston Red Sox
"I take pride in those kind of situations and fortunately, it's been working out a little bit."
Said Bobby Valentine: "I don't necessarily want Mike trying to walk. If he's going up trying to walk and getting behind in the count, I'm not sure that's exactly where he needs to be. He needs to stay aggressive, be aggressive and drive the ball when he makes a mistake or when he gets his pitch. He's good at that."