A momentum swing

It wasn't like Alex Gonzalez was brought here to tear the cover off the ball.

Quite the contrary. Acquired Feb. 6 as a free agent, Gonzalez's primary function as the team's shortstop is to field the ball cleanly, help convert the occasional double play, and make everyone forget about the error-prone Edgar Renteria.

So, when Gonzalez started the season by going 4 for 19 (.211 batting average, .286 on-base percentage, .263 slugging percentage) in his first five games, a worrisome Red Sox Nation was forced to grin and bear it, taking the good he did in the field with the bad he did at the plate.

Gonzalez's first three games at Fenway Park offered little refuge. He went 1 for 11 against the Blue Jays, dropping his average to .167.

But in last night's 2-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners, No. 9 hitter Gonzalez reaped the rewards of some extra work he did in the batting cage with hitting coach Ron Jackson. Gonzalez broke out with a 3-for-4 performance that included a two-run double in the fourth inning.

''It feels good, because I got three hits and two RBIs," said Gonzalez, who raised his average to .235 with his first three-hit game since Aug. 10, 2005, when he was with the Marlins. ''The last couple of days I hadn't been doing very good with my offense. But day by day, I tried to get my swing back like I did tonight and just keep it up tomorrow."

Gonzalez reached base in his first three at-bats and collected his first two RBIs of the season with a double off The Wall that proved to be the difference, making a winner of Curt Schilling (3-0, 1.64 ERA).

''I was probably more excited tonight about Alex's at-bats than anything, because I've seen how hard, how much time he's put in the cage with Papa Jack, all the adjustments," Schilling said. ''When you see a guy put that kind of time and effort and get rewarded, it's a very cool thing. He's hitting in the nine-hole. If he gets comfortable, it changes our offense."

''I just tried to keep my head up and try to be ready early," Gonzalez said. ''The last few days, I was too late and that's why the ball was beating me. But [Thursday] night and [last night], I just tried to keep my swing ready."

After he hit his two-run double and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Jamie Moyer, Gonzalez's only blemish of the night came on the base paths when Mark Loretta's bunt down the third base line caught him by surprise. Gonzalez got caught in a rundown between home and third, and was tagged out by shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt, who was covering third.

''No, it was not a squeeze," said Sox manager Terry Francona. ''I don't think we do that. The bunt was good. Just our communication needs to be a little bit better between me and DeMarlo [Hale, the third base coach], and Loretta and the runner on third. It was a good bunt and we just need to make sure we communicate a little better."

So what happened? ''I didn't think he was going to bunt that way and he got me," Gonzalez said. ''If I was still running, [Adrian Beltre] would've got me at home plate, so I tried to go back to third base, but the shortstop made a good play in that situation."

The slipup did little to detract from Gonzalez's night.

''It's a long season, and you have to be focused every day, every pitch, day by day," Gonzalez said. ''Tonight was a great night, but it's a long season and I've got to keep my head up. I just have to be consistent.

''If I'm not doing anything, then I have to go out there and play defense. That's why I came here. If you're not hitting good, then you have to play 100 percent defense. You can win games with your defense."