Looking for offense, Farrell shakes up Red Sox lineup

BOSTON – Looking to wake up the Red Sox recently slumbering offense, manager John Farrell shook up the top of his lineup on Wednesday for the second game of the three-game set against the Yankees at Fenway Park.

Leadoff hitter Mookie Betts dropped down to third in the order, ahead of clean-up hitter David Ortiz, with Dustin Pedroia batting leadoff and Xander Bogaerts, usually the No. 3 hitter, moving up to the second spot.

"Just trying to see if there's a way, with the same guys in a slightly different order, we can have a more productive [lineup], more efficient,'' offered John Farrell. "All three are very good on-base guys. We're all seeing the last three or four weeks that we haven't scored runs at the clip that we had previously. If this is a little bit of a jump start, or newness for some guys at the top of the order, that might be a side effect. "I met with all three [players] today and this is a chance to take a look at this. This doesn't have to be forever, and they're all ready to take a look at it.''

Betts currently has an 11-game hitting streak. Since July 1 he leads the majors in hits, extra-base hits, doubles and slugging percentage. He is the only major leaguer with 75 or more RBIs, 75 or more runs scored, and an average of .300 or better. He and Ortiz share the major league lead with 62 extra-base hits. Of his last 29 hits, 17 have been for extra bases.

Betts said the change wouldn’t affect his approach at the plate or the way he prepares.

"I'll continue to go and have the same at-bats,'' Betts said. "It's going to be the same thing for me. I think we're going to do the same things we've been doing.''

He also leads the team with 18 stolen bases, in 21 attempts. Between his ability to hit for extra bases and to steal bases, might that invite teams to intentionally walk Ortiz, taking the bat out of the hand of the hitter who has 25 home runs and leads the majors with 36 home runs, a .612 slugging percentage and 1.012 OPS?

“I think we’ll just go as we go,” Betts said.

The shake-up didn’t have the effect the Red Sox were seeking, though, as they fell to the Yankees, 9-4.

Adding injury to insult, Betts, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI, left the game with right calf tightness after the sixth inning. He was not in the starting lineup on Thursday and is considered day to day.

Ortiz also left the game with an injury, hobbling off the field in the middle of his ninth-inning plate appearance after fouling a ball off his right shin. While he was expected to be unavailable on Thursday, he was back in the starting lineup.