BOSTON -- J.D. Martinez has homered just twice in his past 22 games.  That's an issue.  The Red Sox need him to hit for more power again. 

Still, the slugger, who has 39 blasts this season, continues to produce even when he's not hitting home runs.  He's 28-for-84 (.333) with a .418 on-base percentage, .464 slugging percentage and .882 OPS during the 22-game stretch. 

"I'm a hitter," Martinez said. " I'm not just a slugger.  And I take pride in that.  I focus on hitting and the power kind of comes with my swing.  But if you look at it, I'm not hitting the ball in the air right now." 

Martinez went 0-for-5, including grounding into a double play to end Saturday's game here at Fenway Park.  The Red Sox lost 5-3 to the Astros. 

"I fouled off pitches to hit, and I rolled the ball over to end the game," Martinez said. " It's pretty much how it went down." 

Martinez has said many times he's pleased as long as he's hitting the ball hard in the air. 

"Try to figure out how to hit the ball in the air again," Martinez said. 

Reminded that he still is hitting for a high average, Martinez replied, "Statistics show the ball on the ground doesn't hit for a high average consistently.  So you want to hit the ball in the air." 

Saturday marked a rare game during this power drought when Martinez hasn't come through with an important hit when needed.  He said the way the Astros pitchers have attacked him hasn't surprised him at all. 

"I'm used to all forms of being attacked," he said. " They've done everything.  I don't look at it like that.  I look at, 'How many pitches have I missed?'  That's what I look at.  How many pitches have I swung at, fouled straight back?  Where I'm like, 'Dang, that ball should have been annihilated, but it's not.  But it's part of it." 

He said opponents always pitch him tough. 

"I know I'm a target when I go out there," he said. " And I know they're going to be very careful with me.  And for the most part I'm kind of used to it.  I've dealt with it now for a couple of years.  And when you're missing pitches and you're fouling pitches off, you're not going to be very good.  And that's what I look back on."