BOSTON -- Jacoby Ellsbury has already established several superlatives this season.
His 17 home runs, 30 doubles and 64 RBIs are already career highs. He will soon pass several other personal standards.
And, for the first time in his budding career, he has delivered a game-winning hit, smacking a single to score Jarrod Saltalamacchia and cap a 3-2 win over the Indians on Tuesday night. It's never felt so good to get beat up by his buddies.
"It's fun. You win a game like that, a 'W' with one swing of the bat," Ellsbury said. "I got thrown on the ground a little bit but it was worth it."
While this will go down as one of many highlights for Ellsbury in 2011, the way it was set up for him was just as notable.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Jason Varitek singled to center. Red Sox manager Terry Francona wanted to get some fresh legs in for his 39-year-old catcher, but because Kevin Youkilis was ejected in the eighth inning, the bench was limited to one option, Saltalamacchia.
That suited Francona just fine.
"A lot," he said when asked how much faster Saltalamacchia is than Varitek. "Salty's not slow."
That speed, whether relative or not, certainly came into play. Saltalamacchia moved up 90 feet on Josh Reddick's bloop hit, and then motored in from second for the game-winner when Ellsbury lined a hit to center. The throw was up the first-base line a bit and Saltalamacchia dove head-first to get his left hand in before Cleveland catcher Carlos Santana could get back for the tag.
It set up a jubilant scene at a park that just hours earlier was blanketed in sheets of rain and just minutes earlier had seen the Red Sox trail 2-1.
To Saltalamacchia, it was just the latest display of inordinate athleticism.
"[Third base coach Tim Bogar] obviously never held me up, just kept going, and like I said, my speed took over," Saltalamacchia said tongue-in-cheek. "I've been doing a lot of work in the weight room, running. I think they saw my speed."
It was just the second pinch-running appearance of his young career. The first came June 20, 2008, when he was with the Texas Rangers. Despite that fact, and his grand total of zero career stolen bases, Saltalamacchia insisted he has the legs, sarcastically speaking.
"That's just speed," he joked again. "Already got two triples. What can you say?"
On a more serious note, Saltalamacchia gave credit to the guys who set the table (Varitek, Reddick) and to Ellsbury for finishing it off.
"It was clutch. Clutch by Tek, Clutch by Ells," he said. "We needed that win tonight."
One reason for the clubs "desperation" lies in the fact that it had lost three of five, which can be classified as a slump in these parts. Also, Cleveland had taken five of the first seven meetings between the teams this year. Finally, the game looked very much like many others this year that have seen rain delays combine with extra innings to create marathon affairs that are difficult from which to recover.
That last thought gave Ellsbury a little impetus to finish things when he had the chance.
"Always looking for that opportunity, especially with that rain delay. It was getting real late," he said.
But before clock could strike midnight, an early hour compared to some of the seemingly interminable games this season, Ellsburys line drive fell in center field, Bogar's arms began to wave, Saltalamacchia chugged around third and a play at the plate brought Fenway to life.
While the man who scored the winning run will jokingly give his legs the credit, the man who delivered the hit will get plenty. Thats nothing new for Ellsbury, not the way this year is going.