MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Portland Sea Dogs gave the New Hampshire Fisher Cats a double dose of Red Sox outfielders Wednesday night.

How many Boston guys suit up tonight at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium for Game 2 of the series remains to be seen.

Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury, the same two as Wednesday night?

Three? One?

Crawford and Ellsbury are itching to get back in the Red Sox lineup.

Ellsbury, in particular, after his five at-bats, sounded like he had little interest in waiting until after next week’s All-Star break to join the big team, as had been speculated.

Advertisement

The Yankees, after all, are at Fenway for four games in three days starting Friday night.

“I’m looking to get back as soon as possible,” Ellsbury said. “I’ve got to call them and tell them it went well today. I know they’re (on a plane) right now. I’ll talk to them either tonight or tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”

So does he think he’ll be playing in Manchester again?

“I’m going to talk to the team,” Ellsbury said. “It would be early in the morning so I’ll know one way or the other early.”

The word was that Ryan Sweeney, another in the long list of injured Red Sox outfielders who have missed time this season, also would be with the Sea Dogs tonight in Manchester.

Crawford, who hasn’t played with the Red Sox this year as he rehabs from a left elbow injury, said he probably would play against the Fisher Cats tonight.

Advertisement

“I’m not sure about (Friday),” he said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen so we’ll see.”

Ellsbury, coming off a near-MVP effort in 2011, played only seven games with the Red Sox before hurting his shoulder in a baserunning collision.

He’s been on Boston’s 60-day disabled list with a right shoulder injury and started a 20-day rehab assignment by going 2 for 10 with a home run and three RBI with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox in Florida.

Crawford had two singles in four at-bats and drove in a run.

Ellsbury got to the plate five times with a single up the middle in the fourth. He flied to left his first two at-bats, had the single, grounded out and was called out on strikes in the eighth.

Ellsbury didn’t do quite the damage he did in his last visit to the home of the Fisher Cats.

Advertisement

A four-game stop in early April was part of his sizzling start in 2007. He was 9 for 16 in a four-game set with a double, two triples and six RBI.

He was on his way to Pawtucket and Triple-A not long after that, and in the end played a major role in the second Red Sox’s World Series championship in four years.

THE CROWD of 8,544 was the fifth-largest in Fisher Cats history. Five of the top six New Hampshire crowds, including the largest, have come against the Sea Dogs. The franchise record of 8,903 came in a John Smoltz rehab start on May 26, 2009. Crawford went 1 for 2 with a single, two walks and a run in his first game with the Sea Dogs in Portland on Tuesday night.

 


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.