Howie Kendrick to play on

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Howie Kendrick, who missed three weeks in September because of a strained left hamstring and played only six games in the final week of the season, looks completely lost at the plate in the division series.

Kendrick went hitless in four at-bats in Game 1 against the Red Sox Wednesday night, failing to make decent contact in any of his at-bats, and he was 0 for 5 with four strikeouts in Game 2 Friday night, whiffing three times on sliders that were down and away and well out of the strike zone.

But Manager Mike Scioscia, when asked if he would consider benching Kendrick for Game 3 against the Red Sox on Sunday, was adamant: ‘Howie is going to play Sunday.’

Scioscia could move third baseman Chone Figgins to second and start either Robb Quinlan or Brandon Wood at third.

Kendrick, who also struck out against closer Jonathan Papelbon for the last out of the game, said he’s simply trying to do too much at the plate.

‘I need to relax and play the game,’ said Kendrick a .306 hitter this season. ‘It’s the same game, I’m just not looking at it right. I have to work it out and evaluate some things. I’ve got to put the ball in play with runners in scoring position.’

-- Mike DiGiovanna