Red Sox Diaries

Someone please tell me why Jason Bay has been batting in the six hole for most of the season! Francona has batted Ortiz in the third spot with the blazing Youkilis at cleanup. I have no gripes about that. But I do not understand why he has the undistinguished J.D. Drew batting in the five hole. This keeps slugger Jason Bay buried in the sixth spot of the order.

Francona switched it up Tuesday against the Evil Empire and Joba Chamberlain, and the results were outstanding. In the first inning Ellsbury led off with a single and immediately stole second. Pedroia knocked a single to left center and Ortiz followed with an RBI single. The table was set for Bay, and he hit a home run. Bay has been getting nothing but scraps batting down in the sixth spot, but this time he was in the right place at the right time.

Obviously the cleanup spot is for Kevin Youkilis when he returns from a sore back. But Bay should continue to bat higher in the order, say fifth, right behind Youkilis. Bay is going to be key this year for us. Let's make sure we give him an opportunity to do so.

Noteworthy: Dice-K threw a little less than three innings Tuesday night in a minor league rehab start. and threw 29 of 47 pitches for strikes. According to ESPN he topped out at about 93 mph on the radar gun. ... Ellsbury left Tuesday’s game late after diving at a fly ball in center field. No word yet on him but it is something to watch. --- Nick Barone.