Chasing flies, Ellsbury is on the right track

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Jacoby Ellsbury has never committed an error in 164 career games, and more and more, his penchant for the spectacular matches his consistency. The second half of this season, with Ellsbury playing all three outfield spots, has unfolded like an ongoing highlight reel.

He crashed into a wall in Toronto to steal a home run. He slid into the right-center-field gap at Fenway Park and snared a possible double with his backhand. He glided next to the wall along Fenway's tight left field, leaped, and made a catch.

The lasting impression from his did-you-see-that grabs - the ball finding Ellsbury's glove, somehow, as if radar-guided - would never have occurred if not for what happens in his mind before the pitch.

In terms of tracking fly balls, Ellsbury has become one of the premier outfielders in the major leagues. Though he is technically a rookie, he picked up enough during his time with the Red Sox last season to add before-the-pitch positioning to the speed and fearlessness that already made him a standout defender.

"I think the biggest thing is just getting familiar with hitters," Ellsbury said. "The more you play against the same guys, the more you get used to the league, you understand kind of some of those strengths and weaknesses, what they're trying to do with the ball, their approach. As an outfielder, you position yourself more effectively out there."

"I think it's important," manager Terry Francona said. "Last year, I think the one thing that he seemed to need to learn was the strength of the hitters. I think he's definitely improved defensively and he's played left, right, and center to boot. And he's given us a good defender at every position."

Ellsbury has built his approach to positioning in layers. Once he learned hitters' tendencies, he studied them. He is learning to anticipate the effect different pitchers would have on certain batters. He's done so with versatility, playing 59 games in center, 58 in right, and 33 in left.

"You're going to shift differently with different guys that are pitching that are on our staff," Ellsbury said. "You have to kind of make that adjustment, in a sense of who's on the mound and who's hitting. What are they going to try to do with a lefty up? What are they going to do with a righty up? What are they going to do with a power pitcher up vs. more of a ground-ball pitcher? There's a lot of little variables that ultimately put you in the right position more often than not."

Of course, once the ball is struck, it takes athleticism, which Ellsbury possesses in abundance, to chase it down. It also takes the right attitude, Ellsbury said. "Being ready each and every play," he said. "Not taking a play off. The ball all the way down the left-field line, I could let that ball go foul, hit the wall. Or the ball hit over the fence, I could let that go and be a home run. It's just being aggressive, anticipating each pitch, and being ready for every one."

Ellsbury will have to wait until next season to set the record for most games without an error to begin a career, which Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino holds at 176.

Fall ball for Buchholz

Clay Buchholz, who manned a spot in the Red Sox rotation for much of this season, will play in the Arizona Fall League, a developmental league reserved mostly for Double A and Triple A players. Players are eligible for the league if they have less than one year of major league experience. The Sox have generally used it as a vehicle for Double A players.

Buchholz, who threw a no-hitter last season in his second major league start, entered the year as a pitcher of promise. His season unraveled nearly from the beginning. He was demoted to Triple A Pawtucket, where he dominated before being recalled, only to falter again. On Aug. 20, with a 2-9 record and 6.75 ERA, Buchholz was sent to Double A Portland. He made three starts for the Sea Dogs, including a playoff game, allowing seven runs in 21 innings and striking out 27. In the Fall League, the Sox plan on Buchholz throwing 25 innings over a month.

First baseman Aaron Bates and outfielder Josh Reddick will also report, joining pitchers T.J. Large, Ryne Lawson, and Beau Vaughan, and catcher Mark Wagner.

Rough road

Even if the Red Sox sweep the Blue Jays this weekend in their final road series, they will finish with a 40-41 road record. This will be the second season since 1997 Boston has finished under .500 on the road. The last time the Red Sox had a losing record on the road was 2006, when they went 38-43 away from Fenway. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only six World Series champions compiled losing road records during the regular season: the 1918 Red Sox, the 1945 Tigers, the 1987 Twins, the 1997 Marlins, the 2003 Marlins, and the 2006 Cardinals.

No word on Lowell

The Sox did not receive any information yesterday on Mike Lowell's torn labrum in his right hip, general manager Theo Epstein said in an e-mail. The team sent an MRI of the third baseman's hip to multiple specialists Wednesday. Lowell, who sat out Wednesday in Tampa Bay, hopes to play tonight in Toronto. Lowell felt slight improvement yesterday, club spokesman John Blake said. He was scheduled to have a conference call with doctors, but it was moved to today, when Lowell will be evaluated . . . The Sox' magic number to clinch the wild card stayed at 4, but their deficit in the American League East shrank to 1 1/2 following Minnesota's 11-8 comeback victory over Tampa Bay . . . Outfielder Mark Kotsay is 1 for his last 23 (with three walks) and hitless in his last 14. With right fielder J.D. Drew uncertain when he would return from the herniated disk in his back and Jason Bay in Boston after the birth of his second child, call-up Jonathan Van Every was the lone option to replace Kotsay Monday and Tuesday. Francona stood firmly behind Kotsay and said the slump would not affect Kotsay's playing time. "He's going to play," Francona said. "We're not going to play Pawtucket down the stretch." . . . Closer Jonathan Papelbon, who has allowed a pair of runs in two of his last three outings, did not appear against the Rays. He last pitched Sunday against Toronto. . . . Rays first baseman Carlos Peña on closing out the regular-season matchup with the Sox by taking the series at Tropicana Field: "It's just great to get back to that lead. It's nice for the eyes, let's put it that way. It's nice for the fans. Us as players, believe it or not, we enjoy that. Red Sox fans that were here, seeing them walk out, I know our fans enjoy that. It's just cool to win this series here." . . . The Sox will begin their Florida Instructional League season Monday with a workout in Fort Myers.