Looking for curve shaped Lowrie at-bat

Single-minded approach worked

Jed Lowrie watches his two-out hit make it into right field, driving in Jason Bay with the winning run in the ninth inning. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff)

Jed Lowrie wasn't thinking about being a hero when he strode to the plate in the ninth inning of a tie game last night at Fenway Park, the potential winning run staring at him from second base in the form of Jason Bay.

Lowrie wasn't thinking about his recent struggles at the plate. He wasn't thinking about how he made his lone error of the season in a playoff game last week that nearly cost his team a victory. He had one only thing on his mind: Curveball.

Angels hurler Scot Shields made Lowrie look foolish one night earlier, striking out the Red Sox rookie infielder on three consecutive breaking balls in the eighth inning of Los Angeles's season-saving 5-4 triumph in 12 innings in Game 3.

So Lowrie went up looking for that very pitch and wasn't going to be too selective when one came on the first toss.

Lowrie slapped down on a curve that hung letter-high, pushing the ball through into right field and plating Bay with the winning run as the Red Sox topped the Angels, 3-2, in Game 4 of the American League Division Series.

The win capped a 3-games-to-1 triumph for the Sox in the best-of-five series.

"Shields has got a great curveball and he struck me out on it - three straight curveballs - the night before," Lowrie explained as teammates showered him in champagne during a jubilant locker room celebration. "In the back of my mind I'm thinking, 'Curveball.' He threw one in a spot that I could hit and I found a hole."

Lowrie knew immediately the ball was going to get past second baseman Howie Kendrick. The shortstop's gaze turned to Bay as he rounded third base, and soon teammates were mobbing both players on the field.

The moment was particularly satisfying to Lowrie given his September struggles. The rookie peaked with a .314 average and an .858 on-base plus slugging percentage through Aug. 19, but he finished batting just .258 this season with a.739 OPS.

He never let the slump bog him down, though.

"I never really lost my confidence," Lowrie said. "That's kind of the game of baseball. It's never easy.

"You know, I felt like I was grinding out at-bats in September. Not a lot to show for it. I came into the playoffs with my confidence still high, but, you know, it's a funny game. You can hit the ball hard and get out, and can bloop one in and get a hit. So it's just a matter of maintaining a steady approach."

As Lowrie talked to reporters, David Ortiz lumbered over, champagne bottle in hand, and embraced the rookie. It was the perfect symbol of how the veterans on the Sox roster took the younger players under their wings during the season (and had done so with players like Dustin Pedroia in the past).

"I fed off the [veterans'] energy," Lowrie said. "I know it was a tough stretch and I'm a young guy, but you gotta watch them and feed off of them."

Manager Terry Francona watched Lowrie and his budding ace Jon Lester speak together at a postgame news conference and marveled at what they've accomplished, particularly in the postseason.

"I was just standing there by the doorway when they were talking," Francona said. "I was looking and thinking, 'Boy, they're young.' Not in a bad way. The organization, we've brought some kids up and they have done such a phenomenal job competing. I think our organization should be proud."

Chris Forsberg can be reached at cforsberg@boston.com.