01:00 AM EDT on Friday, June 23, 2006

BOSTON (AP) -- The Red Sox have signed high school outfielder Jason Place, their top pick in this month's draft.

The team also announced yesterday that it had signed three other choices -- pitchers Kris Johnson and Justin Masterson and catcher Jon Still.

Place, the 27th player chosen in the first round, hit .463 with 36 homers and 124 RBI with 90 stolen bases in 136 games during five seasons at Wren High School in Piedmont, S.C.

He finished the 2006 season with a .544 batting average, four homers and 20 RBI, then reported to the Gulf Coast Red Sox, Boston's team in the Rookie Gulf Coast League in Fort Myers, Fla.

"Jason Place is an athletic, power-hitting outfielder," said Jason McLeod, the Red Sox director of amateur scouting. "We're really excited to bring his type of potential impact into the organization."

Johnson was taken with the 40th pick after going 16-2 with a 2.94 E.R.A. in 32 games during his career at Wichita State. Masterson was taken in the second round after going 6-7 with a 4.18 E.R.A. last year as a junior at San Diego State. Still, who transferred from Stetson before last season, was chosen in the fourth round after batting .350 with eight homers and 58 RBIs for North Carolina State.

All three were assigned to Class A Lowell of the New York-Penn League.

After sweeping three-game series against the National League's Braves and Nationals with outstanding hitting, fielding and starting pitching, the Red Sox got to rest yesterday before starting a three-game home series against another National League team, the Philadelphia Phillies.

When Josh Beckett takes the mound tonight, he'll be backed by baseball's best fielding team and supported by an offense that is hitting .300 in its last 31 games after having batted .271 in its first 31.

"This is a ballclub that works a lot on hitting," A.L. RBI leader David Ortiz said after hitting a grand slam in Wednesday night's 9-3 win over the Nationals. "You see guys that you don't think would be able to handle it when they first came to this team and, out of nowhere, you see that the guy is putting up some good numbers, good offensive numbers."

Lately, Trot Nixon's numbers have been the most impressive.

Healthy all season after battling back and other injuries for most of his career, the right fielder leads the team with a .333 batting average after his second straight three-hit game Wednesday night. Nixon also has walked 37 times with just 21 strikeouts in 216 at-bats.

"He's getting on base a lot, getting good at bats, seeing a lot of pitches" manager Terry Francona said. "He showed up (at spring training) ready to play, felt good about himself. He's healthy. We haven't seen that in a couple of years."