BOSTON -- After struggling in the leadoff spot for the last month, Jacoby Ellsbury was sent to the bottom of the batting order by Terry Francona yesterday -- and found the success that had eluded him in the leadoff spot.

Hitting ninth, Ellsbury laced a double to left in his first at-bat, singled to right in the sixth and singled again to right in the seventh, capping a 3-for-4 night.

It was the speedy outfielder's first game with more than two hits since July 9. Prior to last night, Ellsbury was just 20 for 88 (.233) in his last 19 games. Over his last 32 games, he was batting .212, dropping his average from .289 to .259.

``He's been chasing some fastballs up and out of the zone,'' said Francona. ``Sometimes you're fighting a double-edged sword, telling guys to be patient, get on, then all of a sudden, they're trying to lay off a fastball rather than knowing you're going to swing at a good fastball and letting your good natural instincts take over.''

Francona also noted that Ellsbury had perhaps been pressing at the top of the lineup, knowing that the Sox were expecting him to get on base. At the bottom of the lineup, he could be more relaxed.

The Sox had planned to have Ellsbury hit ninth in Friday's series opener, but Manny Ramirez's decision to remove himself from the lineup forced the Sox to reconfigure the batting order. On Saturday, with lefty Andy Pettitte starting for the Yankees, Ellsbury wasn't in the starting lineup.

Last night, finally, was a case of the first being last. And it worked.

The double, for instance, was his first extra-base hit after a stretch of 10 games without one.

``It was nice to get on base and contribute,'' said Ellsbury, who boosted his average to .265 with the three-hit effort, ``and get the win. That's the most important thing. But I didn't really do anything different. I was just trying to see some good pitches and get something to hit. Luckily, a couple found holes. But I really didn't do anything different tonight.

``They threw me breaking balls right off the bat and I laid off them, then hit a fastball for the (second-inning) double. I hit a slider on one of the singles. But the big thing for me is not to worry about getting hits. I just want to square up balls and the hits will come.''

Ellsbury also managed to contribute in the field -- and right away. In the top of the first, he went ranging back to the wall and took a potential double away from Derek Jeter.

``I never let my offense carry over to my defense,'' he said. ``It's two separate things. But it's nice to take away a hit or a double that could lead to a rally.''

``He's had such a positive approach to what he's doing,'' said Francona. ``He hasn't panicked. When you have something to show for the night, you wake up the next morning feeling better about yourself.''