More power to them?

If it was the start of a trend, the Red Sox would be ecstatic. They'd hit as many as three home runs in a game at Fenway Park just twice before the All-Star break. Now they've done it twice in the last four games.

Dustin Pedroia, Manny Ramírez, and David Ortiz all homered off Royals righthander Brian Bannister in Monday night's 4-0 win over Kansas City. In Saturday's 9-4 win over the Blue Jays, Jason Varitek, Eric Hinske, and Ortiz went deep against righthander Dustin McGowan. The Sox did not homer in last night's 9-3 loss to the Royals.

Before the break, the Sox hit four home runs in a 13-3 rout of the Braves May 19, and April 22, they hit four consecutive home runs off Yankees righthander Chase Wright. Opponents have hit three home runs in a game at Fenway twice this season: The Braves hit three May 19, and the Yankees hit three June 2.

The Sox have hit three or more homers in a game seven times on the road, including a season-high five in Atlanta June 20.

Fenway Park has long since lost its allure as a home run paradise suggested by "lyric little bandbox." The Sox have hit 43 home runs in 48 games at home; at that pace, they would finish with 73, which would be their fewest this decade. In 2003 and 2004, they hit 111 home runs. Their previous low this decade is the 77 they hit in 2002. Last season, they hit 83.

Before the All-Star break, the Sox and their opponents combined to hit 72 home runs -- 36 apiece -- at Fenway, according to numbers compiled by home run historian David Vincent. Of the 13 other American League parks, only two had fewer home runs: There were 70 at Safeco Field in Seattle, and 66 in Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The most home runs in any AL park were the 108 hit in Rogers Centre in Toronto; the most home runs in any major league ballpark were the 135 hit in Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. The fewest were the 51 hit at Barry Bonds's home field, AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Three-homer games at the Fens have never been a staple. Last season, the Sox did it nine times, the year before just six. In 2003, they did it 14 times, but only seven times in 1995, when they won the division, and three times in '86, when they went to the World Series. In 1978, when they won 99 regular-season games, they did it nine times, but just six in '75, when they went to the World Series. They did it 11 times in the Impossible Dream year, 1967, but only five times in 1957.

More home run minutiae: Vincent notes that Ortiz and Ramírez, after going deep Monday, rank third among active teammates in homering in the same game. They've done it 46 times (four this season). Andruw Jones and Chipper Jones of the Braves have done it 58 times, and the Cardinals' Jim Edmonds and Albert Pujols have done so 49 times. On the all-time list, Ortiz and Ramírez are tied with Oakland's Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, and Houston's Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio. The all-time leaders are Hall of Famers Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews, who homered in the same game 75 times, twice as many as Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth.

Kason Gabbard, who threw a three-hit shutout Monday, will make at least two more starts before Curt Schilling is activated. Did his performance Monday night mark him as someone the Sox would consider leaving in the rotation after Schilling comes back?

"I think in this market, a game like last night has a way of enshrining somebody in Cooperstown," manager Terry Francona said. "Things happen. You try to stay ahead of things, have Plan A, B, and C. By the time Schill -- let alone by the time somebody makes the next start -- half the time guys aren't available. I think Gabby said it pretty well. He'll pitch when he's supposed to, go where he's supposed to, and do the best he can. That's probably the best way to look at it.

"But I think you're also alluding to the fact that we probably have confidence in his ability to pitch, and that's a big yes."

Julio Lugo had his third three-hit game in his last seven games, dating to his 3 for 3 in Detroit on the day before the All-Star break. He hadn't had at least three hits in a game since May 12, when he went 4 for 5 against the Orioles. Lugo is batting .538 (14 for 26 ) while hitting safely in each of his last seven games. His average is up to .217, the highest it has been since June 8 . . . The boos are getting louder for Wily Mo Peña, who whiffed twice after replacing Ramírez and looked awkward leaping for Tony Peña Jr.'s double in the eighth. The outfielder is batting .143 (4 for 28 ) in his last 13 games.

Brendan Donnelly will return to Boston to resume his strength and exercising program, the club said last night after Donnelly was examined by Dr. Lewis Yocum. According to the club, Yocum concurred with the initial diagnosis of a strained right forearm for Donnelly, who has missed 26 games since being placed on the disabled list June 17 (retroactive to June 11) . . . The Sox watched with some interest as 39-year-old Reggie Sanders started in left field for the Royals last night. Sanders just came off the 60-day disabled list after tearing his left hamstring May 3, but if he's healthy, he's the kind of player the Sox would like to add for the stretch run. Sanders is one of three active big leaguers, along with Jeff Kent and Luis Gonzalez, to record double-digit home runs in 15 straight seasons. Sanders was 1 for 3 and scored last night . . . Organizers of the Hot Stove, Cool Music concert series announced that five-time Grammy Award winner John Legend will headline the third Hot Stove, Cool Music: The Fenway Park Sessions presented by Iron Mountain, Inc. The charity fund-raiser, which also features ESPN broadcaster Peter Gammons and Sox general manager Theo Epstein, is scheduled for Aug. 24 at Fenway Park. Tickets are $40 and are available beginning today at noon via redsox.com or by calling the ticket office at 877-RED-SOX9.