Pedroia: The new Mr. Clutch

It’s okay to say it. Even with David Ortiz still on the team and starting to warm up, the best clutch hitter in the Red Sox lineup is Dustin Pedroia.

The reigning A.L. MVP, now 11-for-21 over his last five games, showed again on Friday night why there is no more feared batter in the Sox batting order late in games than No. 15.

In a 0-0 game and the go-ahead run on third AND the Red Sox lineup continuing to struggle to find any sort of consistency, Pedroia slammed a 1-1 cut fastball from Brian Bannister off the Green Monster to provide the only scoring in a 1-0 Red Sox win over the Royals. He was 0-for-3 earlier. But 1-for-1 with the game on the line.

Mark Kotsay singles to open the inning. Aaron Bates pinch runs at first. Nick Green, after failing twice to get a bunt down, bunts on his own with an 0-2 count, advancing Bates to second. A wild pitch gets Bates to third. J.D. Drew strikes out.

Bringing up Pedroia to face Royals starter Bannister, who had allowed just two hits to that point.

“Greenie had a tough time get it down,” Francona said. “We take it off and he still got it down, which is a tough thing to do. Then Petey comes up with two outs because that cutter to J.D., that nobody could get to, Petey hits it off the wall. I think we always feel like when he comes up in that situation, something good is going to happen.”This hasn’t been the easiest of weeks for Pedroia. He and his wife, Kelli, are expecting their first child. Kelli went into labor seven weeks early on Monday and he left Fenway to be with her. He’s been leaving after each game this week to go right to the hospital to be with her.

“It’s not just this week,” Francona said. “He doesn’t have to get hits for us to have admiration. I appreciate it. I’m glad but he always tries to do his best for everything. Whether it’s our team or Kelli, that’s just the way he’s built.”

But when he’s been at the park this week, Pedroia has been all business. He to be on Friday night with the way Bannister was dealing.

“He (Bannister) was great,” Pedroia said. “We faced a couple of times the last couple of years and he never throws one straight. It’s either sinking or cutting or doing something. He knows how’s to pitch. He was definitely tough tonight. We’re glad to win this game.”

As for his game-winner, Pedroia showed some more respect for the Royals righty.

“Try to hit it hard,” he said. “That’s the best you could throw the ball without winning. He threw the ball great. So I was just trying to hit it hard and I was fortunate to hit it off the Monster.

“I never squared up a ball,” Pedroia added. “So, my biggest thing was try to hit it on the barrel, it doesn’t matter where it goes. I got a couple of hits on him. I just tried to stay inside the ball. That’s what I tried to do in that last at-bat. It was cutter and it still wasn’t straight.”

Pedroia and Josh Beckett shared a talk afterward in the clubhouse about just what a great pitching performance Friday was between Jon Lester and Bannister.

“Like we were just talking, me and Josh Beckett, that’s the worst feeling as a pitcher, to throw the ball that well and not win,” Pedroia said. “He threw the ball great. Lester was just a little bit better, I guess.”

If anyone can appreciate Pedroia’s work on the field, it’s captain Jason Varitek.

“He’s a good player,” Varitek said. “He loves to be out there. He loves to play the game. He obviously plays the game right with a great deal of enthusiasm. He’s a big part of this team.”

And once again on Friday, the best hitter in the clutch.