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October 19, 2007
BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer
BOSTON — Coco Crisp’s postseason struggles, which culminated in three hitless games in Cleveland and was capped by his failure to lay down a sacrifice bunt in the second inning Thursday night, have prompted the Red Sox to make a lineup change.
Jacoby Ellsbury will replace Crisp in center field Saturday night for Game Six of the American League Championship Series against the Indians. He’ll bat eighth, which was Crisp’s spot in the order.
The Sox had also mulled putting Alex Cora at second base in place of Dustin Pedroia and placing Ellsbury in Pedroia’s leadoff spot in the order. But Pedroia’s bat has come alive in the series – he had two hits in Game Five Thursday night and has hit the ball well recently – and the Sox decided against the Cora/Pedroia switch.
Crisp is hitting .143 (3-for-21) with six strikeouts in the ALCS. This came on the heels of a 2-for-10 showing against the Angels in the American League Division Series, giving him a .161 average for the postseason.
“Yeah, he’s really having a tough time. I agree,’’ manager Terry Francona said at his press conference Friday at Fenway Park. “Even trying to get that bunt down you could see him trying to maybe be too fine, do too much. He’s gotten himself into some things mechanically where he’s not been able to make some adjustments.
“Any time the ball is moving and the hitter is moving it’s tough to make adjustments. I think he understands what (hitting coach Dave Magadan) is telling him. I think sometimes taking (the advice) into the game gets a little tougher than people realize.’’
Ellsbury has been limited to pinch-running and late-inning defensive duties so far in the postseason; he’s hitless in his only playoff at-bat. During the regular season – which he started at Double-A Portland before being promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket, and which included three separate stints in the major leagues with the Red Sox – he hit .353 (41-for-116) in 33 games with Boston. He also stole nine bases without being caught.
Journal sports writer Steven Krasner contributed to this report.
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