Facing Tampa Bay last week with no outs, runners at first and second, and the tying run at the plate, Craig Hansen retired three straight batters.

The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach

BOSTON –– It was a situation where Craig Hansen felt he needed to reach back for a little something extra.

“I have this quotation written down,” he said, turning slightly and reaching into his locker for a small notebook. “Strength does not come from winning,” he read, after flipping quickly to a familiar, well-thumbed page. “Your struggles develop your strength — when you go through hardships and decide not to surrender.”

Hansen certainly has been through some hard times on the mound after it seemed at first that pitching in pro ball was going to be oh-so-easy.

A first-round pick of the Red Sox in 2005 after he racked up a school-record 14 saves, posted a 1.68 ERA, and was named the Big East conference’s Pitcher of the Year as a junior at St. John’s, Hansen was in the big leagues that September, becoming the first player in Red Sox history to reach the majors the year he was drafted.

He’d pitched 15 games in the minors out of the bullpen that summer, a total of 15.2 innings, and hadn’t allowed a run in any them. After three scoreless appearances in the Eastern League playoffs for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, he was brought up to Boston and, in his first appearance, retired the side in order at Tampa Bay, striking out the first batter he faced, Toby Hall, and then ending the inning with a another strikeout, fanning Julio Lugo, who’s now his teammate with the Red Sox.

But struggles soon followed.

He finished that season with a 6.00 ERA in four games, and that number went up in 2006, when he had an ERA of 6.68 in 38 relief appearances, giving up 46 hits in 38 innings.

That disappointing showing resulted in a demotion to the minors. Hansen spent all of last season in Pawtucket, where, although he had a 3-1 record, he gave up 58 hits in 51 innings and had an ERA of 3.86 in 40 appearances.

He also began this season in Pawtucket, but, with opposing hitters batting just .107 against him, and an ERA of 1.62 in 11 outings, he was brought back to Boston on May 5.

After a shaky beginning, he’s come on strong, allowing just one hit — and no runs — in his last six appearances, striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings.

On Sunday afternoon, against Seattle, with the Sox clinging to a 2-1 lead, he was brought in to pitch the seventh inning and, after walking the first batter, didn’t allow anyone to put a ball in play, retiring Yuniesky Betancourt on a foul pop and then catching both Jamie Burke and Willie Bloomquist looking at called third strikes.

“I fooled them with sliders,” said Hansen, who was even more impressive last Tuesday night against Tampa Bay, when he relieved Javier Lopez in the eighth inning with no outs, runners at first and second, and the tying run at the plate, and proceeded to retire three straight batters.

“I just needed to find my mechanics and be comfortable,” Hansen said. “I needed to find my comfort zone.”

Hansen is finding both the strike zone, and his comfort zone, consistently now. He’d fallen into some bad habits, but has corrected them through hard work with pitching coach John Farrell and by studying videotape.

“I’d changed my foot position on the rubber, which changed my arm angle,” he said. “I went back and looked at myself when I was pitching in college, and in the Cape Cod League. I spoke recently with Ray Fagnant, the scout who signed me, and he said my mechanics were back to the way they were when he saw me at St. John’s.”

It’s been a tough battle.

“It was a difficult time,” Hansen said. “I could have surrendered, or I could battle back. I knew I could do it. I knew I had to do it. It was change now, or never.”

It was then he found that inspirational quote, in a book about California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“I read it,” said Hansen, “and I’ve been living by it ever since.”

He has changed his lifestyle, both on and off the field — becoming more businesslike in his approach to the game.

“There’s been a huge difference in my mentality, the way I go about things,” he said. “I had a tough season last year. Sometimes you can try too hard. I needed to trust in my stuff and believe in myself.”

The Sox now are trusting him to pitch out of difficult situations.

“That’s helped my confidence,” Hansen said. “I’m comfortable now with the routine I have. Sometimes I go to the mound when I don’t have my best stuff. But my mechanics are staying solid.”

jdonalds@projo.com