Pedroia delivers for an emotional rescue

ANAHEIM, Calif. - When Dustin Pedroia arrived at third base in the eighth inning, he smashed his hands together. His double scored Julio Lugo, and Pedroia took third on the throw home. He looked intense. Intense and happy and ready to contribute - as he has all season - to a team bound for big things.

It was typical Pedroia, a big hit in a big spot with some big emotion.

It was only the second postseason hit for the rookie - he doubled and scored in Game 2 - and it showed him at his fire-starter best.

"I care more about us getting hits than how we celebrate," manager Terry Francona said, "but the emotion was real, for sure."

No one doubted that. Though the Red Sox already had a 2-0 lead, courtesy of the bashers, David Ortiz and Manny Ramírez, Pedroia sparked a seven-run eighth inning that crushed the Angels and sent the Red Sox on to a 9-1 victory and a three-game sweep in the American League Division Series.

"Our previous runs were coming off home runs, stuff like that, instead of being a scrappy offense, doing it both ways," Pedroia said. "I think that inning it kind of all came together."

The Sox' offense had been home run-heavy throughout the series. Of the team's first 12 runs, (through the first four innings yesterday), eight had come off home runs. Then came the eighth inning. Then came Pedroia, who jammed his left shoulder trying to grab a Kendry Morales ground ball in the second Friday night. He fought off lingering soreness to start the explosion.

"It was huge," Francona said. "Everybody kind of wants us always to bunt. I think that shows crooked numbers in innings really are beneficial to winning. That opened up the whole game."

When Pedroia banged up his shoulder, his wince indicated the injury might have been more serious. But Pedroia was not going to be deterred. He did not leave the game. Then he came out on the offday Saturday, took batting practice, and Francona indicated Pedroia was ready to play.

So, he was healthy enough, although Pedroia was just 1 for 9 coming into yesterday's game, and grounded out, struck out, and walked in his first three trips yesterday. But that's just not the kind of thing that fazes him.

Remember how he started the season. Things like a hitting slump aren't going to get to him at this point, Mike Lowell said.

"[Pedroia's] the type of guy, everyone put so much pressure on him in April and he was able to overcome that," Lowell said. "I'm not sure one at-bat was going to really put him down or anything. He's a guy that knows how to grind it out. But it was a big hit. It kind of started a huge rally for us. It got us an extra run and we were able to pour it on after that."

Kevin Youkilis's sacrifice fly scored Pedroia in the eighth, and the Sox batted around, Pedroia ending the inning on a fielder's choice.

Perhaps Pedroia's hit allowed the Sox to take a deep breath, relax, and start - finally - looking ahead to the next step. The American League Championship Series.

"It's a 2-0 game in the eighth," Pedroia said. "You definitely need insurance runs. And we needed some momentum. I ended up getting a big hit. It kind of sparked us."

No question.

And, rookie or not, this winning thing is growing on him. So, although the key double is a well-known moment for Pedroia, there do happen to be other skills he's picking up on in his first try at postseason play.

"I'm getting a lot better at popping champagne, I'll tell you that," he said.

Amalie Benjamin can be reached at abenjamin@globe.com.