Between dunderhead base running, futile swings in the batter’s box and an exasperating string of losses, the Yankees had turned increasingly desperate to generate offense.
So on Friday they decided to steal a run.
Jacoby Ellsbury, after measuring the leisurely windup of the Tampa Bay left-hander Matt Moore, took off toward home and slid safely headfirst, his hand reaching the near corner of the plate before catcher Curt Casali could lunge forward and tag him.
The daring play, with two out in the fifth inning, not only tied the score, it also invigorated the crowd, and awakened the Yankees, who rallied for a 6-3 victory on Friday in the Bronx.