"Credit Carl Crawford for one thing: Throughout his wretched first season with the Red Sox, he hasn't complained about being dropped to the lower half of the lineup.

Yesterday, though, he admitted the demotion has been "very frustrating."

Crawford returned to his more familiar No.?2 spot yesterday for the opener of a pivotal three-game series at Yankee Stadium. Before the game, he said being back at the top of the lineup would allow him to better utilize his speed on the bases, something he hasn't felt as free to do when batting seventh."