The Red Sox’ David Ortiz points to the sky after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning of yesterday’s series finale against the Angels. Boston won, 7-2.

The Providence Journal / Gretchen Ertl

BOSTON — It was only last week that some wondered if the Red Sox’ lineup was deep enough to produce the necessary firepower and whether the bottom third of the batting order was going to be a potential weakness.

The Red Sox had already been shut out twice in their first eight games, and in five of their first eight the club managed four runs or fewer. That kind of production, it was argued, wasn’t enough to keep pace with the Yankees and Blue Jays.

In their rain-interrupted series with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, however, such talk has, like the weekend rain, dissipated. In sweeping the Angels, the Red Sox scored 25 runs against the best team from the A.L. West.

“That,” concluded Kevin Youkilis after the Sox had posted a 7-2 win yesterday, “is what our offense is all about. You can’t go on just the first five games. People are very quick to judge around here. The bottom line is, this is a strong lineup.”

What’s astounding is that the Sox broke out during a period in which the temperature hovered mostly in the 40s and included two (unscheduled) off-days in the span of four. Ordinarily, that’s not the recipe for an offensive breakout.

“Sometimes though, that’s when it happens,” said Youkilis. “Sometimes it’s best when you go out there and don’t worry about the cold weather or the rainouts.”

“We’re swinging the bats well,” said catcher Jason Varitek, one of just three Sox starters who went hitless yesterday. “We still have a ways to go. Guys aren’t completely into a rhythm yet.”

Indeed, the Sox’ awakening has come with scant contributions from Manny Ramirez. Ramirez drilled a key opposite-field single to right to score two runs off Ervin Santana in the first inning yesterday, but is hitting just .200 through the first two weeks of the season.

Varitek, too, is struggling, also hitting .200, and Coco Crisp’s output — or lack thereof — is so conspicuous that he sat in favor of Wily Mo Pena yesterday.

It helps, of course, that David Ortiz has begun to stir. After driving in just one run in the first five games, Ortiz has knocked in 11 in his last six games, including eight in the just-completed series.

He doubled to left in the first, drew a walk in the second and homered into the center-field bleachers — his second blast there in as many games —in the fourth.

A key to the series for the Sox was their ability to take early leads against Angels starters and get into the team’s bullpen by the middle innings.

The Angels boast quality relievers such as Scot Shields, Justin Speier and closer Francisco Rodriguez, but in taking early leads and maintaining them, the Sox made the back end of the bullpen irrelevant.

“That was huge,” said Drew, who went without a hit yesterday for only the second time this season. “Guys had good at-bats early, and when you score early and keep those big guys out of the game, that’s key.”

The Sox took some time to get going in Friday’s opener, but never trailed in a 10-1 rout. Saturday, the Sox sprinted to a 3-0 lead by the fourth inning and tacked on two more in the sixth.

For the series, no Angels starter went as deep as six innings.

If the Sox can average 7.5 runs in each victory to date, despite miserable hitting conditions and irregular scheduling and start times, opponents may shudder to think how they’ll produce when the weather warms, the ball travels better and hitters find a more comfortable routine.

“You can see the potential on paper,” said Drew. “Sometimes it’s tough when you’re not taking batting practice (on the field) and have to hit in the cage. All you can control are the four or five plate appearances you get each game. We have to take it one day, one at-bat at a time. But I like what we have here.”

Undoubtedly, Ramirez will shake himself from the slow start that has now dogged him in each of the last three springs, and together with Ortiz, produce the most fearsome three-four combination in the game.

For now, his usual contributions haven’t been missed. And given the conditions under which they’re thriving, that bodes well for the lineup that should only get better as the season progresses.

smcadam@projo.com