Red Sox shake up lineup for Game 4: J.D. Drew batting leadoff

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With his team trailing the best-of-seven American League championship series two games to one and unable to muster much offense, Red Sox Manager Terry Francona benched leadoff batter Jacoby Ellsbury for Game 4 tonight and moved right fielder J.D. Drew, who usually bats fifth, into the leadoff spot.

Ellsbury, who reached base five times, with three hits, in Boston’s division series Game 1 win over the Angels in Anaheim, is 0 for 14 with no walks in the ALCS and is hitless in his last 20 playoff at-bats.

Coco Crisp was the other option in the leadoff spot, but with Tampa Bay starting right-hander Andy Sonnanstine, Francona went with the left-handed Drew, who led off eight times this season and is usually very good at working counts. Crisp is starting in center field and batting seventh.

‘His on-base skills are needed,’ Francona said of Drew. ‘Rather than hit Coco first and say, OK, go up there and be patient, we can use his strengths and hit him seventh. Because of J.D.’s 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.’

-- Mike DiGiovanna