Sea Dogs ride red-hot Ellsbury
Red Sox prospect raises batting average to .500
By Michael Echan / Special to MLB.com
04/21/2007
Jacoby Ellsbury continues to show why he's one of the top prospects in the Boston Red Sox organization.
Ellsbury went 4-for-5 with a pair of triples, three RBIs and two runs scored Friday night to lead the Portland Sea Dogs to a 5-2 triumph over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
The former first-round draft pick led off the game with his first triple of the season and scored on Jeffrey Corsaletti's double to put Portland in front for good. He legged out another triple to open the sixth, doubled in a run in the seventh and delivered a two-run single in the ninth. Ellsbury boosted his batting average to an Eastern League-leading .500. The 23-year-old center fielder is riding a six-game hitting streak and half of his hits have gone for extra bases. Dating back to last season, he has reached safely in 52 of 57 Double-A starts. Corsaletti had two hits and two RBIs to help the Sea Dogs (4-4) to their fourth win in five games. Portland starter Andrew Dobies (1-0) allowed four hits and a walk with two strikeouts over five scoreless innings. After Kyle Jackson yielded two runs on three hits in 1 2/3 frames, Michael James pitched 2 1/3 one-hit innings for his first save. Robinzon Diaz went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for the Fisher Cats (6-4).
New Hampshire starter Justin James (0-2) gave up a run on two hits and a walk with three strikeouts in four innings.