The first three inning of the 2011 Boston Red Sox season is in the books, and already Adrian Gonzalez is showing why he demands a new (huge) contract from Theo Epstein.
Gonzalez is 2-for-2 already -- a pair of singles -- with three RBI, two of them coming on a single up the middle with the bases loaded in the top of the third inning to give the Red Sox a 4-2 lead. And it was
The 2011 season was ushered in with a wild first inning Friday afternoon in Texas. Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a high, lazy fly ball to right-center, but Nelson Cruz and Julio Bourbon didn't lazily collided, allowing the ball to drop, and Ellsbury to reach second base. Kevin Youkilis' double off the wall in right field scored Ellsbury. Gonzalez followed with his first hit and RBI, driving in Youkilis with a single through the right side.
Boston's 2-0 lead was quickly cut in half when Ian Kinsler took the second pitch he saw from Jon Lester and lined it into the seats in left field. A home run from Cruz in the bottom of the second tied it up, 2-2, and atoned for his first-inning error.
In the top of the third, the Red Sox added a couple more runs on Gonzalez's double to take a 4-2 lead heading into the fourth inning.