RED SOX NOTEBOOK

DETROIT - With the first quarter of the season nearly over, the Red Sox have started Coco Crisp and rookie Jacoby Ellsbury almost the same number of games in center field. Last night, Crisp made his 19th start in center field; Ellsbury has started 18 times. That might not have been the case if Crisp had not strained his right hamstring and missed eight games in mid-April; he'd started six of the previous seven games in center until he was hurt in Cleveland.

The Red Sox had the same record (11-7) for each player when he started in center entering play last night.

But there is a startling difference in production when Ellsbury has started in center. The Sox have scored 114 ...