Drew knows how to work the clutch

With just eight at-bats in the last six weeks - four in the regular season, four in the postseason - prior to Game 2 of the Division Series against the Angels, J.D. Drew may have been the most unlikely candidate to hit a game-winning home run in the ninth inning.

"J.D. catches a little bit of flak during the season, but it always seems like he comes up pretty big in a special moment in the postseason," Mike Lowell said. "That grand slam off [Fausto] Carmona [against Cleveland in the ALCS] last year and the big home run [Friday] night, he's gotten some really big hits for us.

"So I think he deserves a lot of credit for that, especially [since] he really hasn't seen live pitching in a while. It looked like he was back to being his regular self."

After going 0 for 4 with a strikeout in Game 1, Drew went 3 for 5 with three RBIs, a home run and a double in Game 2. Still, he's not sure he's back to where he wants to be.

"It's hard to say," said Drew, who has been bothered by a disk problem. "It takes a number of at-bats to get where you're completely comfortable. So, we'll still grind them out regardless, try to put good swings on balls. But some days you feel better than others, for sure.

"I get stiff and play through the stiffness and am able to perform. I mean, I'm not at the stabbing pain that I was having a week or so ago. So that's always nice. But, you know, I play six or seven innings, it starts stiffening up. [But] it's able to be played through and keep trotting out there."

Drew, who said his back has improved greatly over the last week to 10 days, doesn't feel his timing at the plate is where he'd like it to be.

"That's the big question of missing six weeks and trying to figure out how you're going to come back and be able to perform at this level with minimal at-bats over that period of time," he said. "So, see the ball and hit it.

"Adrenaline, that's a huge thing. I wouldn't have been able to overcome what I was dealing with a week ago, a week and a half ago. So, needless to say, things started healing up and it all fell into place at the right time. But I got to be really careful and make sure I do things right to not reaggravate it at this point in the season."

Which is why manager Terry Francona isn't sure he'll have Drew's name in the lineup for tonight's Game 3, with lefthander Joe Saunders starting for the Angels.

"I think that's the one question," Francona said. "J.D. just walked in when I was coming up here. If there's any doubt about him playing a back-to-back day, that's what we would do. So we'll get to that in a little while. He's down there talking to trainers right now. I'll visit with him in a little while."

If Drew does not start, the switch-hitting Coco Crisp will play center field, with Jacoby Ellsbury moving to right.

As for his own status, Lowell said, "I'm fine and I'm expecting to play, nothing weird."

Lowell said the long plane ride back from California did not have an adverse effect on the right hip problem that kept him out of the lineup in Game 2, but neither did the day off help.

"I feel good," he said. "So, looking forward to [tonight]. It's going to be a pretty good atmosphere here at Fenway. It's going to be exciting."

First taste
In his first postseason, reliever Justin Masterson has appeared in both games of the ALDS, pitching two innings, allowing one earned run on three hits and two walks, striking out two. He threw a scoreless eighth inning in Game 1, and in Game 2 was called in with two on and no outs in the seventh, surrendering a run on a hit and two walks, striking out two. "So far, so good. I love it," Masterson said. "I'm so excited, also frustrated. Just in the last outing where I wasn't hurt by them but I was hurt by myself. Not necessarily even hurt. We still won the game but I walked a couple guys where I didn't even need to walk. We could have challenged them and been just the same. But then again, maybe we would challenge them and they would hit a double or something. So they only got one run instead of four. But, that's the nature of the game. But it's fun. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to be out there."

Where are they?
Despite having the majors' best overall record, 100-62, and best road record, 50-31, this season, the Angels enter Fenway Park down, 2-0. The reason, said manager Mike Scioscia, is that the team that earned those records has not shown up. "That's what's been frustrating for us," Scioscia said. "I think in spots [Friday] night we came back and did things like we did all summer. Boston's played two terrific ballgames. They set up games the way they want to. They hold leads and have gotten to the big guys in the back of the bullpen that have done the job. That's the way we'd like to play and set our games up, and we haven't quite been able to get there. I hope it's not going to be business as usual [tonight] as far as what we've done the first two games. You know, we need to press the offense. We need early runs and we need to set up a game that we can get a chance to hold leads late, because that's how we did it in the summer."

Joe set to go
Saunders, in his first postseason appearance, will be charged with stopping Boston's offense. He is 3-0 with a 2.75 ERA lifetime at Fenway, including 2-0, 3.75, this season. "[I] welcome the opportunity," said Saunders, who was 17-7 overall this season. "Just itching to get out there and put up some zeros and give us a chance. It's what we've been trying to do all year. Looking forward to doing it here hopefully." Saunders disregards the theory that Fenway is a tough place for lefties, attributing his success to addressing the game and not the park. "Just letting my stuff work, and not really focusing on the Green Monster or, you know, Pesky's Pole or stuff like that," he said. "Just pitching my game and trusting my stuff. I've just been fortunate in past experiences."

Hunter vows to play
His left knee wrapped in ice after Friday night's game, Torii Hunter left little doubt he would be ready to go for Game 3. "I'm a gamer, man," Hunter said. "I go out there and play no matter what. Like I said, the adrenaline is my pain-killer and that's all I need." Hunter injured his knee protesting a call by first base umpire Kerwin Danley on a bang-bang play that ended the third inning. Shortstop Alex Cora threw to first to retire Hunter and strand two runners, and after Hunter crossed the bag, he leaped and turned to yell at Danley. He landed awkwardly, and his left knee buckled. Hunter crumpled to the ground. "I just felt it buckle," said Hunter, who did not come out of the game. "There was no snap, no pop, or anything like that. The doctor checked it out. I feel pretty good. It's a little sore, it's swollen right now, but trust me, I'm going to go out there and get the job done."

Bottoming out
While the Angels' 3 through 5 hitters have combined to go 14 for 23 (.609) through two games, the bottom third of the order hasn't been nearly as productive. The 7 through 9 hitters have just two hits (by pinch hitter Kendry Morales in Game 1 and reserve catcher Jeff Mathis in Game 2), going a combined 2 for 24 with 1 walk and 11 strikeouts. More troublesome is the Angels' penchant for stranding baserunners - 20 in two games.

Michael Vega of the Globe staff contributed to this report.