Drew finally coming through

Redemption, once a far-fetched dream, may yet arrive for J.D. Drew's first season with the Red Sox, as the right fielder has put together a strong September he hopes will continue into the playoffs.

Drew's statistics have been dismal overall: a .266 batting average with 10 home runs and 60 RBIs. And he has heard about it in the form of boos at Fenway Park, ire directed at a lack of production in proportion to the five-year, $70 million contract he signed last offseason.

But the fans and the contract, Drew said, weren't the problem.

"There's no greater expectation than what a player has on himself," he said.

"You don't want to go through the ups and downs and definitely the slumps during the season, absolutely. I got frustrated and tried to work out some things and get different things going. Sometimes I get into a situation where they snowball."

The troubles were exacerbated by several injuries, and Drew also dealt with problems at home when his infant son, Jack, had surgery on his hips in late July. (Jack, recovering well, recently shed his full body cast.)

But lately Drew has been able to get his hamstring woes, among other things, under control, and hasn't missed a game because of injury since July.

"Everybody's got nagging [injuries] going on at this point in the season," he said. "But everything's manageable."

And his productivity has jumped. In 21 games this month, Drew is hitting .324 with 3 homers and 14 RBIs while slugging .544.

"I'm in a situation where my head's above water," said Drew, who was 1 for 3 with two walks and an RBI last night.

"[I am going to] try to continue to have good, quality at-bats and get myself geared up and ready to go in the postseason. I feel like I've had a good September and kind of got things where I am hitting balls where they ain't, and that's a good feeling."

Manager Terry Francona agreed Drew's success was due, in part, to the breaks of the game.

"He hit a ball the other day that hit a rock and went over the first baseman's head; all of a sudden, everybody's asking me about his two-hit night instead of being 1 for 4," Francona said.

"This game's a little crazy sometimes. I think, though, that's why if you're consistent over the course of stretches of time, things will go your way if you do things correctly."

Though Drew said he didn't make any big changes, teammate Mike Lowell has noticed a different Drew at the plate.

"He's really put together some good swings," Lowell said.

"A lot of times, I measure how a guy is hitting by how they're making outs. When you make those outs where it's a hard ground ball or it's a fly ball that you've struck well, instead of those rollovers to the infield or popups . . . I think there's a difference. He's really seeing the ball well right now, and he can really help us."

Lowell also noted that Drew's presence in the No. 6 spot in the order can wreak havoc on opposing bullpens, with the Sox able to mix left- and righthanded hitters.

"He allows us to have great balance in the lineup with David [Ortiz] a lefty, Manny [Ramírez] a righty, myself righty, and him lefty," the third baseman said. "And that gives us an advantage because a team will have to burn three pitchers in certain situations."

With a postseason berth clinched, the Sox have their sights set on October, an atmosphere Drew has seen before. He has 27 games of postseason experience with the Cardinals, Braves, and Dodgers.

"I've been there quite a few times," said Drew, who has hit just .233 in the postseason. "I know what to expect, and I don't know if that's a plus or a minus, but in some cases, it's got to be a plus."

A plus for the Red Sox would be for Drew to continue his hot hitting and put his troubles further behind him. October awaits, with a chance to redeem his season.

"I've had my ups and downs, a lot more downs than I've had ups, but things will all work out," Drew said. "We've got the postseason to go through, and that's a whole 'nother season in itself."