Colbrunn backs approach, says bats will break out

CHICAGO -- In recent years, the Red Sox have typically been one of the top offenses in the Majors. But they've started this year struggling to find their way at the plate, particularly with men in scoring position.

Entering Wednesday's game against the White Sox, Boston had a .194 average with runners in scoring position, which ranked 26th in the Majors.

However, hitting coach Greg Colbrunn doesn't see anything fundamentally wrong with his hitters.

"The process, the approach, is pretty much the same," said Colbrunn. "You see guys pressing a little bit, but that's to be expected. As far as the approach goes and guys grinding away at-bats and not giving away at-bats, the effort is there. Guys are working hard and working on all the right things. There are good signs."

Colbrunn just thinks this is a stretch every time will go through during the season. The Red Sox just happen to be starting their season in that type of funk.

"So it gets magnified," Colbrunn said.

What does Colbrunn during a stretch like this?

"Trust them," said Colbrunn. "We have good hitters. They're gonna hit, eventually. A couple of them fall here or there, we're right back where we need to be."

Manager John Farrell remembers a similar stretch last season, which ended with a World Series championship.

"There was a 12-14 game stretch where our bottom line was similar to where they are now," Farrell said. "Things are magnified a little more at this point in the season. I think at times we've been too overaggressive with runners in scoring position, where we haven't taken the same approach toward building an inning when we're trying to drive a run in. So that's led to some early swings, the expansion of the strike zone, at times even border-line forcing the issue a little bit."