BOSTON — With lefty Andrew Miller starting for Florida on Wednesday night, the Red Sox gave J.D. Drew the night off, allowing Rocco Baldelli to start in right.

 There is nothing wrong with Drew, Sox manager Terry Francona reported. If form follows, the Sox will face right-handed pitchers for the next four days. If Baldelli did not play, he likely would not start for an extended period.

 “It’s not rocket science,’’ Francona said. Rather, he said, it is simply an attempt to get one player into action and give another a chance to rest. Drew has had some shoulder pain after being hit by a pitch.

 Drew, who has battled back problems, reported that he is healthy and ready whenever called on.

 “I haven’t had any issues with it. It’s been good,’’ he said of his back. “I’ve had some times where it’s been a little bit tight, but for the most part the extra stuff, the stretching and all that has kept it nice and loose. Hopefully it will stay that way.’’

 Drew spoke about being treated by a chiropractor this spring.

 “It definitely helped keep it a little more mobile. I got an injection. Things seem to be freed up a little bit,’’ he said. “It gets tight from time to play if we play a real long game and I’m out there standing around. But everything seems to be manageable.’’

 Drew has a six-game hitting streak in which he has hit .333. It continues a trend of his hitting well in June.

 “If you’re seeing the ball well it seems like good things happen,’’ he said. 11The big thing is you build up repetition over a couple month period and everything seems to fall in place.’’

 Baldelli held up his end, ripping an RBI single to right in the second inning.

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Jacoby Ellsbury proved Wednesday night that he’s human.

In the top of the first inning, he made the first error of his major-league career when he misplayed a low liner in left-center field off the bat of the Marlins’ Jorge Cantu. The error allowed Florida to score its first run of the game.

Ellsbury entered the game without a error in 232 games and 554 chances, which was the longest errorless streak ever by a Red Sox outfielder.

"It looked to me like he just got a little stiff with his glove hand. He's tracking it and I bet if you ask him he'll say it was bouncing," said Francona.

But he more than made up for it.

Ellsbury followed his miscue in the home half of the inning with a walk before collecting his 28th stolen base of the season.

He chipped in again offensively in the bottom of the seventh inning when he led off with a solo home run, his third of the season, to give Boston a 5-1 lead.

"We'll take anybody hitting a home run, but I think that -- and I guess I hope I say this right -- when he hits a home run that's not a mistake," said Francona. "But when he uses the entire field, he's a strong enough kid where he will hit some balls out. I don't think that's what we necessarily need from him to be a power hitter. He's going to hit some home runs."

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Nick Green continues to calm worries Red Sox fans might have about the shortstop position. Green made more nice contributions Wednesday. He had an infield hit in the fourth inning as the Sox scored twice. What meant even more, though, was his work in the field.

Green made a diving stop on a hard-hit grounder in the fifth, got up and threw the runner out. The guy who hit the ball was Hanley Ramirez, the shortstop and former Sox prospect traded to the Marlins in the Josh Beckett-Mike Lowell deal.

"It looks like he's starting to play with more confidence," said Francona. "That was one of the better plays you're going to see . . . That was a play a lot of shortstops in this league don't make. You couple the arm strength and the athleticism -- that was a good play."

Green, who has had nine errors in 39 games at short, also combined with Dustin Pedroia to turn a double play in the seventh.

Only a couple weeks ago, when Julio Lugo was having problems in the field, Sox fans were wondering if the team should trade for a shortstop. Now, not only is Green doing the job, but Jed Lowrie has begun rehab from his wrist injury in extended spring training. He likely will report to Pawtucket soon and could be back with the Sox by the end of the month.

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Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday that the Red Sox have had talks with the Texas Rangers about possibly trading relief pitcher Takashi Saito for third baseman Hank Blalock. But Rosenthal also reported that the talks are probably not going to lead anywhere, partly because of David Ortiz’ recent improvement at the plate, and partly because the Rangers can no longer afford to lose Blalock because of Josh Hamilton’s recent abdominal surgery.

But Rosenthal says that there remains plenty of interest in the veteran Saito, whom the Red Sox might move for a prospect given their healthy bullpen situation.

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Former Bruins great Bobby Orr was a surprise guest in the seventh inning, emerging from the left-field scoreboard to greet Sox left fielder Jason Bay. Bay, a native of Canada, is a huge hockey fan . . . Ex-Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez may be back in the A.L. East soon. Martinez said the Rays are one of two teams he’s been talking to — the Cubs are the other — and that he hopes to sign a contract in the next week or so. Tampa Bay may attempt to make Martinez its closer.

pkenyon @projo.com / jmcdonal@projo.com