Peņa would like staying power

From his seat in the Red Sox dugout Wednesday night, Gabe Kapler had a perfect view for the smoker that hummed off the bat of Wily Mo Peña and hit ground zero above The Wall faster than you can shout, ``Fore!"

``No," Kapler said, shaking his head, when asked if he had seen anyone hit a ball with more authority. ``That ball was crushed. Absolutely hammered."

Manager Terry Francona concurred, branding Peña's sixth-inning tattoo, which gave the Sox a 4-3 lead, one of the hardest hits he's seen in baseball.

The executor, however, disagreed with the claim. There was a time last year with the Cincinnati Reds, Peña said before last night's game, when he saw a fastball veering into his power zone. The heater was launched out of the hand of a forgotten Milwaukee pitcher on a date Peña couldn't remember (he spanked two home runs last season against the Brewers).

But what Peña recalled is the shot he belted last year, one of 19 home runs the outfielder recorded, was traveling faster than the slingshot he cranked into the Monster Seats off Indians reliever Brian Sikorski.

``It was hanging," Peña said of the fastball he turned on last season. ``You just have to put a good swing on it. That's it."

Peña's current power surge -- he bashed out a headlight with a homer over The Wall Monday and hit a triple -- has come at the time his team most needs it. Trot Nixon, who strained his right biceps Sunday, might be out until September, putting the Sox down a right fielder during a neck-and-neck sprint with the Yankees for first place in the AL East.

But Peña, who was activated July 18 after recovering from surgery on his left wrist, has slotted into right field since Nixon's injury and given the Sox the thump they need in the middle of the lineup. Entering last night, Peña was 5 for 12 with 2 homers and 4 RBIs against the Indians during the series.

Although Peña has played in only 45 games this season, the 24-year-old Dominican is showing why the Sox swapped him for Bronson Arroyo in March. Peña is hitting .328 with 6 home runs and 25 RBIs, just one homer fewer than Nixon, who has played 92 games. Peña has an on-base percentage of .382 and a slugging percentage of .537. His OPS is .919, Nixon's is .822. Surprisingly, the righthanded-hitting strongman was performing better against righthanders (.418, 5 home runs) than lefthanders (.200, 1 HR).

When asked if Nixon's injury signaled an opportunity, Peña said, ``I don't think about that. I just want to come out and do what I can."

Before Monday's trade deadline, there was a possibility Peña might never see that chance with the Sox. Because of his potential and affordable salary, Peña was mentioned in trade talks as the Sox looked for more help in the arms race. Peña knew a deal was out of his control, but the versatile outfielder -- he's played left, center, and right this season -- had his heart set on where he wanted to be: Boston.

``I love being here," Peña said. ``It's a nice city. The biggest thing is the fans who come to the game. They support Boston and they're all about Boston. I love it here."

With the deadline behind him, Peña started his fourth straight game in right last night, hitting sixth in the batting order behind Mike Lowell. Peña entered the final game of the homestand with 43 strikeouts in 134 at-bats (Nixon has struck out 41 times in 310 at-bats), signaling the work he needs to perform to master the strike zone.

But he has counsel in David Ortiz and Manny Ramírez, who sit nearby in the clubhouse. With Nixon due to become a free agent at the conclusion of the season, Peña is a candidate to be the starting right fielder in 2007. And perhaps the leading attraction in batting practice.

``His raw power is up there with just about anybody I've played with or seen," Kapler said. ``He hits balls really, really hard. I'm not going to make any wild comparisons, but I know with just the guys we have in this clubhouse alone, there are enough guys who take BP with him who know this guy hits the ball as far or farther than any of them. It creates a level of awe."