Ellsbury

BOSTON — Although they are contractually committed to remaining in Fort Myers, Fla., through 2011, the Red Sox have begun discussions with the City of Sarasota that could see them move their spring training headquarters by spring 2012.

The Cincinnati Reds, who have trained in Sarasota since 1998, have announced plans to move their spring training base from Sarasota to Goodyear, Ariz., a suburb of Phoenix, beginning in 2010.

The agreement between the Red Sox and the City of Fort Myers lasts until 2019, but the team has a buyout clause that it can exercise in 2011.

The Sarasota site would offer the Red Sox the opportunity to house its minor league spring operations together with its major-league program. In Fort Myers, the team’s minor-league complex is several miles from City of Palms Park.

Additionally, the team cannot currently have a Florida State League affiliate at its spring training facility — as most teams do — because the Minnesota Twins, who also train in Fort Myers, have territorial rights in the city. If the Sox moved to Sarasota, they could eventually have their Class A affiliate there, too.

Finally, Sarasota is more centrally located and would make for far less travel during Grapefruit League play.

Red Sox chief operating officer Mike Dee confirmed that the Sox had discussions with Sarasota last week and will continue to explore their options both there and in Fort Myers.

Dice-K throws a gem

Daisuke Matsuzaka had a headache, so he did not meet the media after last night’s game.

But the right-hander, who had missed his last scheduled start on April 23 because of the flu, turned in one of his best performances of the year. Dice-K blanked the reeling Blue Jays on only two hits over seven innings.

Matsuzaka, who threw 111 pitches, left with a 1-0 lead, but was unable to run his record to 5-0 because Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima combined in blowing the save in the eighth.

“Today I was able to do my minimum required job as a starter and the team got the win so that’s great,” said Matsuzaka through a statement released by the Red Sox.

Manager Terry Francona was pleased with Dice-K’s performance.

“I think the results spoke for themselves,” said Francona. “Even in this [chilly] weather he’s got a little more ease in his delivery which I think is allowing some life on his fastball. He’s getting some swings and misses. He kept us right where we needed to be because we weren’t doing a lot offensively.”

Papelbon gets a pickoff

Jonathan Papelbon’s pickoff of John McDonald at first base last night was his first pickoff in regular-season action. He did, however, pick off Colorado’s Matt Holliday in Game Two of the World Series last fall.

“I knew they were going to try to run. I’ve kind of tweaked my delivery with runners on base to make myself quicker [to the plate],” said Papelbon.

Around the bases…

The Red Sox went 39 innings without an extra-base hit before David Ortiz slugged a homer in the seventh. It also was Boston’s first homer since Ortiz connected in the ninth inning of the team’s April 24 game, snapping a 44-inning homerless streak . . . Ortiz was in an 0-for-11 skid before the home run . . . Boston is 8-0 in Matsuzaka’s last eight starts, dating back to last Sept. 22 . . . Bartolo Colon will have another side session tomorrow, with an eye toward a rehab start — probably for Pawtucket — Monday. After 45 pitches this past Monday, he’ll throw 60 or so tomorrow…The Sox went into last night with seven wins in their final at-bat, the most in the American League.

smcadam@projo.com