Ellsbury’s Heroics Enough to Save the Season?

On Sunday, it was the Jacoby Ellsbury show in New York.  The Red Sox centerfielder went deep three times throughout the doubleheader against the Yankees and his last one of the day may have been the biggest one of the year.  Not only did Ellsbury become the first player in Red Sox history to hit 30 hmers and steal 30 bases, but he may have saved the Red Sox season.

In the top of the 14th inning, Ellsbury lashed a three run shot to give the Red Sox the lead 7-4, a lead that would hold up giving the Sox a much needed victory.  With the win, the lead for Boston in the Wild Card race is now a full game over Tampa Bay.  It was just the second win in the last nine games for Boston.

The game winning home run from Ellsbury cued up two things as of this morning.  The first, Ellsbury quite possibly saved the Red Sox postseason’s hopes and the second, Ellsbury is deserving of the AL MVP.

With three games remaining in the season, Boston opens up the final series of the year in Baltimore tonight.  Tampa Bay hosts the Yankees and we all know full well that New York won’t have the same potent lineup against the Rays that we saw all weekend against the Red Sox.

With a one game lead, Boston has to at least take two of three from the O’s just to quite possibly get into a one game playoff with the Rays.  It’s realistic to say the Rays will take a minimum two of three from New York and in all honesty, they will most likely sweep.  Tampa’s starting rotation will be far deeper than the Yankees three that will start and the Rays are playing for their lives while the Yankees are just fine tuning their games.

So without the win last night we’d be entering play this morning all square with Tampa Bay for the Wild Card.  The way things have gone I would go out on a limb and say that if the Sox and Rays were tied this morning, there was no way Boston was getting into the October dance.  But with a one game lead, I still believe!

It’s thank you Mr. Ellsbury.  Thank you for saving the season and oh by the way, here’s your AL MVP award.  You deserve it.

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