Schilling knows about success in postseason

Four times Curt Schilling has taken the mound in a division series. And three times he has come back with a win.

So if you’re the Boston Red Sox you have to like your odds when Schilling gets the ball at Angel Stadium today with his team a win away from sweeping the Angels and securing a spot in the American League Championship Series.

“I’ve always wanted to be great on this stage because the postseason is just so different in how I think I perceive it, how people look at it,” said Schilling, who is 8-2 with a 2.06 earned-run average in 15 postseason starts. “Those guys that succeed on the game’s biggest stage . . . to me it’s always told you something different that’s maybe not visible, they have some different makeup.”

Although Schilling, with 216 wins, is hardly a slouch in the regular season, he says he’s a different pitcher in October. Partly, he said, because he’s not afraid to make mistakes, but largely because he feeds off the energy and pressure of the playoffs.

“The cliche in spring training does hold true. It’s what you play for,” Schilling said. “In October you can make one play, one pitch, you can do one thing that people will never forget. It can happen literally in a matter of seconds.

“As a starting pitcher, one of the things that I got told early in my career was that when you go on the road as a starting pitcher in the postseason, you have the ability to shut up 50,000 people. And there’s nothing like it from an adrenaline standpoint. When you are someone that carves a niche for doing well in the postseason, I take pride in that.”

Schilling, 40, spent more than a month on the disabled list because of shoulder tendinitis this summer, then won only two of his first eight starts after coming back. But three weeks ago, pitching coach John Farrell suggested he go from a deep-palm grip to a fingertip delivery on his changeup, which allowed for more wrist snap, something that has improved his splitter as well.

The right-hander responded by giving up only one earned run in two of his last three starts, finishing 9-8 with a 3.87 ERA.

Although the Red Sox’s plane didn’t land in Southern California until 5:31 a.m. Saturday, nearly three-quarters of the players took part in Saturday afternoon’s optional workout.

Despite the long night the players seemed in good spirits after Friday’s walk-off win, which actually ended early Saturday morning Boston time. The only starters who didn’t show for the light one-hour practice were designated hitter David Ortiz and catcher Jason Varitek.

“I almost didn’t show up,” Manager Terry Francona joked. “You just do the best you can. Game times and the travel. That’s the way it is. Game times I don’t think are based on teams getting the utmost rest. I think there are other things that probably come into play that we have to make the best of it.

“You sleep in the winter.”

Rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who jammed his shoulder in an unsuccessful effort to stop Kendry Morales’ second-inning single to right field Friday, took batting practice and is expected to play today.

“Outstanding,” Pedroia said when asked how he felt Saturday. “I’m ready to go.”

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kevin.baxter@latimes.com