BOSTON - His batting average still is a mere .189.

Late in the game, though, David Ortiz is a tough out. At least he was on this homestand, which wound up yesterday.

In his last at-bat over the last seven games, Ortiz went 4-for- 4 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI. He walked in his other three final at-bats.

Yesterday, Ortiz was 0-for-4 when he faced Scot Shields with a runner at second and two outs in the ninth and the Sox down, 7-3. Shields surprised Ortiz by dropping in an 81 mph curveball for a called strike, making the count 1 and 2. He tried another 81-mph curve but missed, so it was 2 and 2.

It’s rare to double up with breaking balls. But throw three in a row? Not likely. So Ortiz had to know a fastball was coming. It did, a fat one over the heart of the plate, and Ortiz crushed it to right for a two-run homer, Boston’s final runs in a 7-5 loss.

Earlier, Ortiz had given indications that he’s still battling a slump, and that he wasn’t terribly confident facing Angels left-hander Joe Saunders. Ortiz attempted to beat the shift by dropping down a bunt on an 0-and-1 pitch in the first inning, but missed the pitch.

Another indication came in the fifth. The count on Ortiz reached 3 and 0.

Ortiz rarely swings at a 3-and-0 pitch. He did it only seven times last year (3-for-5). Yesterday, though, figuring he would get a fastball, he hacked at the 3-and-0 offering from Joe Saunders, the first time this season he has swung at 3 and 0.

He got the fastball, and he hit it well, but the high drive died in the triangle and was hauled in by Torii Hunter.