Projo Sox Blog

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON _ Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell, who has been hampered by a right-hip injury, played in Game One of this series before sitting out Game Two. He said Saturday he plans on playing in Game Three Sunday.

"I'm not hiding the fact that I want to play," said Lowell. "I feel good. I'm looking forward to (Sunday). The atmosphere here at Fenway will be exciting."

Sox right fielder J.D. Drew, who missed the majority of the last month and a half of the regular season with a herniated disk, played both games and proved crucial with his game-winning home run on Friday, could be out of the lineup Sunday to rest his back.

Because the Angels are throwing lefty Joe Saunders, Drew can sit while the switch-hitting Coco Crisp could be inserted into the lineup.

Injuries have been a problem for the Red Sox this season, but other players have stepped up and contributed at crucial points to ensure Boston reached the postseason for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

Even though Drew, Lowell and others are feeling the aches and pains, the symptoms have a way of disappearing in October.

"You have to put them all aside," said Lowell. "This is the time where we're trying to do something special, not only for this team but for the organization. We have a great opportunity where we're at right now to go onto the next round. This club is really good about being in the moment and understanding we can't get ahead of ourselves and the most important game of the year is [tonight] and we have to look at it that way."

If an injury can't be cured by simple mind or matter, chemistry, as Josh Beckett put it also helps.

"Playoff baseball you're running on a lot of adrenaline, so that's always nice and nagging injuries seem to disappear," said Drew. "You do what you can, take in the environment and really enjoy it."

 Tags  J.D. Drew Mike Lowell Red Sox

---