Red Sox manager Terry Francona shook up his lineup for tonight’s Game 4 of the ALCS against the Rays. With Jacoby Ellsbury fighting an 0-for-20 slump, Francona decided to start Coco Crisp in center field and bat right-fielder J.D. Drew leadoff. Drew led the team in on-base percentage during the regular season with a .408 mark.
“His on-base skills are needed,” Francona said. “Because of his style, he can hit there. If he gets a hit or two and walks and he’s on base two or three times and somebody in the middle whacks one, that will help us.”
Crisp is batting seventh. Jason Bay has been moved up a slot to bat fifth behind Kevin Youkilis, and Jed Lowrie has been dropped to ninth in hopes he can swing the batting order around to Drew.
Tonight’s lineups:
Rays
Akinori Iwamura (.355-1-4), 2b
B.J. Upton (.290-5-9), cf
Carlos Pena (.409-1-4), 1b
Evan Longoria (.286-4-7), 3b
Carl Crawford (.259-0-4), lf
Willy Aybar (.278-0-1), dh
Dioner Navarro (.296-0-4), c
Fernando Perez (.250-0-0), rf
Jason Bartlett (.231-0-0), ss
Andy Sonnanstine (1-0, 3.18), rhp
Red Sox
J.D. Drew (.273-1-3), rf
Dustin Pedroia (.250-2-3), 2b
David Ortiz (.148-0-1), dh
Kevin Youkilis (.313-1-3), 3b
Jason Bay (.429-3-9), lf
Mark Kotsay (.250-0-0), 1b
Coco Crisp (.400-0-0) cf
Kevin Cash (—), c
Jed Lowrie (.235-0-2), ss
Tim Wakefield (—), rhp
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