Ellsbury had stolen home in the fifth inning, the highlight of the Red Sox' 4-1 win last night and a series sweep of the Yankees.
The roar was deafening, even though the crowd of 38,154 at Fenway Park seemingly was having trouble realizing what it had just seen. This was better even than his tear for home from second base on a wild pitch in his rookie season, the one that made them think he was a god on the base paths. It was simply brilliant.
And Pettitte had never even looked over.
"I've never seen anyone attempt it, let alone somebody actually do it," said Jason Bay, who was on deck. "I got a really good view of it. That's something I won't forget. That's the last thing you're ever expecting, and all of a sudden you've got Ells, who flies, just takes off, and everything's kind of happening at once. I'm thinking, 'Jeez, J.D., don't swing.' And boom, he slid in."
It might not have been the difference in the game, but the play was emblematic of a series in which the Sox got the better of the Yankees at every point. There was the home run with two down in the ninth on Friday, and the homer that won it in extras, the thrashed New York bullpen Saturday, and the steal of home last night, all culminating in a sweep that is the crowning touch on a 10-game winning streak.
Starting with Tim Wakefield's near no-hitter against Oakland, the Sox have gone from faltering to dominating, their 2-6 record turned into 12-6. The team has yet to prove itself on the road, but the Sox get a chance to show their momentum extends outside city limits when they start a nine-game road trip tonight in Cleveland.
"I was actually like, 'Does everyone realize? I don't know how many 9-0 homestands you guys have been a part of, but I know I haven't been a part of many,' " said Bay, the veteran of years with the Pirates. "It doesn't really surprise me. It doesn't seem as if we're on this improbable roll. Just we're going out there, we're winning ballgames, doing the things we should do to win."
