Jacoby Ellsbury Sets Record, Boston Red Sox Rally Past Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox offense was patient against Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester through six innings. He was at the 40-pitch mark in the second inning, at the 70-pitch mark in the fourth, and closing in on 100 pitches in the sixth, but Chicago had little to show for it: one run on three hits.

Then the seventh inning came along and fatigue set in for Lester.

Boston’s offense, which entered this contest averaging four runs for Lester per start, only gave him two over the course of his outing. Their center fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury, was responsible for the first, and made history in doing so.

He lined a double off Freddy Garcia to begin the bottom of the first inning, then took off for third. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski was set to throw, but with Ellsbury closing in on the base, he held onto Garcia’s fastball. Ellsbury slid in safely for his 55th stolen base of the season, setting a new Red Sox record.

He dusted himself off, stood on the bag, and chatted with the third base coach while the Fenway crowd gave him a resounding standing ovation. He was rewarded by Dustin Pedroia, who grounded out to plate him as Boston’s first run.

The Red Sox and White Sox exchanged runs in the third inning, and the game remained a 2-1 score until Lester’s seventh. The first pitch of the frame was lined into left by Paul Konerko for a single, then Jermaine Dye walked on four straight pitches.

Lester was at the 102-pitch mark and clearly laboring, but manager Terry Francona trusted Lester and left him in the game.

Lester made Francona look like a genius, retiring Pierzynski on a sacrifice bunt that moved both runners into scoring position, then Alex Rios on a line out that was hit so hard to right fielder J.D. Drew that it failed to allow Konerko to tag and score from third.

Yet still, a well-placed single by Alexei Ramirez would not only send Lester to the showers, but give the White Sox the lead. Ramirez couldn’t give the White Sox the lead, nor knock out Lester, but thanks to the some wildness by Lester, he was able to notch the score at two.

He took a curveball for strike one, then flailed at another, and then one more.

The third curved a bit too much and too early. It ricocheted off the plate and rocketed past catcher Jason Varitek to the backstop. Konerko, not fleet of foot, scored easily. Ramirez reached, extending the inning.

Lester would need to obtain a fourth out, one he could not get. Jayson Nix, who homered in the third, laced the first pitch on a line to third baseman Mike Lowell. The ball was scorched so hard that it sliced off his glove and into foul territory, allowing Pierzynski to score.

Lowell ran it down, then walked back to his position shaking his head. As a Gold Glove winner at third base, he knew that was a catch he could have made. But, alas, it dropped, taking the air out of Fenway and sending Lester to the clubhouse.

The lead was gone, but now it was the White Sox's turn to attempt to hold a slim advantage. They could not.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Jason Varitek tattooed a double deep to center field, a godsend considering the ways he’s been hitting this season.

Backup shortstop Nick Green pinch ran for the slow-footed Red Sox captain, and Victor Martinez, originally given the night off, pinch hit for the starting shortstop, Alex Gonzalez. He didn’t waste any time, nutting a 98 mph fastball from Matt Thornton into left field, scoring Green to quickly tie the game.

Boston loaded the bases later in the frame, but Kevin Youkilis, the best hitter the Red Sox could ask for in such a situation, couldn’t take advantage, grounding out to end the threat. At least they bounced back and tied the game. This shifted momentum immediately, and fueled them for the rest of the game.

Jason Bay watched a curveball from reliever Scott Linebrink fall in for strike one with one out in the eighth inning. After fouling off a slider, he watched another curveball, but instead of looking at Pierzynski’s framed glove, he watched it sail out of the stadium.

With this solo homer, Bay’s 28th home run of the season, the Red Sox reclaimed the lead. This time, they would not only hold onto their advantage, but increase it.

In this month of August, Boston has been one of the better teams offensively. They have led the American League in both home runs and batting average, while placing in the top-three in many other major categories.

The main reason for their success, especially in the last couple of weeks, has been their ability to produce with two outs.

They continued this trend, and with the bases empty in a seemingly harmless situation, Green singled, then Martinez doubled him in to give the Red Sox a little insurance. Ellsbury increased the margin to three by knocking the first pitch he saw from reliever Randy Williams into center field for a single.

He scored the first run and drove in the last, but it was the drama that unfolded in the other eight-plus innings that epitomizes Boston’s greatness. Especially what transpired after the wild pitch evaded Varitek.

Usually, a play like that would devastate a ball club, but to the Red Sox it was rejuvenating. They are well behind the New York Yankees in the division, and hold a slim wild-card lead, but their short-term memories once again proved beneficial, leading to another impressive victory.