CRISP

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 yesterday he plans on playing in Game Three tonight.

“I’m not hiding the fact that I want to play,” said Lowell. “I feel good. I’m looking forward to (tonight). 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 in his back, played both games and provided the game-winning home run on Friday. But he could be out of the lineup tonight 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 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 when 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. 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 puts it, also helps.

[During] “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.”

Lester votes for Pedroia

There’s a bumper sticker above Jon Lester’s locker that reads: “MVPedroia.”

The Red Sox pitcher, who was outstanding in his Game One ALDS victory over the Angels, isn’t the only player in the clubhouse who feels Dustin Pedroia is the club’s MVP for the regular season.

And, just because he’s 0-for-8 heading into tonight’s Game Three at Fenway Park, there’s no cause for concern. After all, he struggled against the Angels in the 2007 ALDS, going 2-for-13 (.154) in that three-game sweep. He finished the postseason last year with a .283 average, two homers and 10 RBI in 14 games.

So he’s not concerned about his slow start this postseason.

“It’s all about winning right now,” he said. “That’s all that counts. I’ll go 0-for-5 any day of the week for a win. I got enough hits (213) on the year.”

He squared up a ball in Game Two and narrowly missed a home run before it was caught at the left-field wall. He feels he’s having good at-bats and it’s only a matter of time before he busts out.

“I hit the ball good,” he said. “That stuff happens. It happened to me last year in the first couple of games. It’s tough because for me it’s about getting into a rhythm. You play a game and then have a day off. I need to see pitches.”

The Red Sox had an optional workout yesterday at Fenway Park and everyone attended. The club took regular batting practice, which Pedroia hopes will get him going in the right direction for tonight’s game.

Scioscia says Hunter ready to play

When the Angels arrived at Fenway Park last night, the first question manager Mike Scioscia was asked was in regards to outfielder Torii Hunter, who tweaked his knee during Game Two on Friday. Scioscia said Hunter is ready to go, despite the fact he did not take batting practice here. Hunter spent the majority of yesterday receiving treatment.

jmcdonal@projo.com