BOSTON — J.D. Drew walked slowly into the Boston Red Sox clubhouse, and then carefully descended onto his chair.

Nearby, Mike Lowell eased over to his locker.

A couple of stalls down, Jacoby Ellsbury stepped quickly to his stuff, and then jumped at a reporter's question.

After stealing his 50th base of the season Friday night, did Ellsbury get the base for his collection?

"I didn't think about that," Ellsbury said excitedly. "I wonder if it's still out there. Do you think it's still out there?"

Ellsbury, 25, did not get a chance to get the base Saturday, with the tarp covering the infield the whole day as the afternoon game was rained out and re-scheduled as part of a doubleheader today.

Still, Ellsbury will keep moving, making memories in this 2008 season.

While other Red Sox players are hobbling – both Lowell and Drew are questionable for the postseason – Ellsbury is again becoming a catalyst for Boston. Ellsbury appears to enjoy the prime time, as he's heating up with the Red Sox getting ready to begin the playoffs Wednesday night in Anaheim, Calif.

Ellsbury is batting .347 during his current, career-high 17-game hitting streak. And he has already scored 20 runs this month.

When Ellsbury is getting on base and scoring, Boston usually succeeds. In games in which Ellsbury has scored, the Red Sox are 51-17. In games when Ellsbury has scored two or more runs, Boston is 22-3.

Run, Jacoby, run.

Ellsbury's speed is instantly noticeable. Portland fans saw it when Ellsbury was promoted to the Sea Dogs in 2006, in his first full season as a pro. He stole 16 bases in 50 games with the Sea Dogs that year.

This year, Ellsbury has 50 steals in 61 tries. That leads the American League and makes Ellsbury only one of three Red Sox players to record 50 steals, joining Tommy Harper (54 in 1973) and Tris Speaker (52 in 1912).

"Why not five more?" Ellsbury said with a smile.

Maybe he will get the club record next year. For now, the Red Sox hope Ellsbury can duplicate the postseason success he enjoyed last October. Ellsbury, who began the 2007 season in Portland, ended the year as a World Series starter.

He batted .438 in the four-game sweep of Colorado. When Manager Terry Francona moved him to the leadoff spot for Games 3 and 4, Ellsbury went 6 for 9 with four doubles, three runs and two RBI.

Despite talk of Coco Crisp coming into 2008 as the starter, Ellsbury was obviously the man. He has played 144 games, second only to Dustin Pedroia (156), and is batting .280 with 22 doubles, a team-leading seven triples, nine home runs and 98 runs scored.

Ellsbury went through a slump for most of July and August, batting .211 (30 for 142). He had a 3-for-5 night on Aug. 30, then began his hitting streak on Sept. 10, a day before his 25th birthday.

"I just went back to the basics, kind of simplified things and got my timing back," Ellsbury said.

"Sometimes, you can overanalyze things. We got all the film and stuff. It can hinder you as well, seeing too much information.

"I just let my athleticism play on the field, instead of trying to think."

Through it all, Ellsbury never doubted himself. That confidence has propelled him from Hadlock Field to Fenway so quickly, and so successfully.

"I knew I was going to break out of it at some point," Ellsbury said. "I've hit my whole life. It was just a matter of time. I hit last year."

Yes, he hit. And he scored. And the Red Sox won.

Coincidence?

AS FOR DREW AND LOWELL, Francona is still hoping both will be ready for the post-season.

Drew, who has a herniated disc in his back, will actually try to play today, but he's had plans fall through before.

"We can't figure it out," Drew said. "We've treated it and treated it and done exercises for over a month. I continue to get stiff after exercise or baseball...