MLB

ELLSBURY STEALS THE SPOTLIGHT

BOSTON — You snooze, you lose.

Jacoby Ellsbury had a lead from third base in last night’s fifth inning that should have set off alarm bells from here to Framingham. No member of the Yankees got around to tripping that alarm.

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It resulted in Ellsbury executing one of the most exciting plays in sports, a straight steal of home that highlighted the Red Sox’s 4-1 victory over the Yankees at Fenway Park.

Ellsbury dove head first across the plate, just eluding Jorge Posada’s tag, giving the Red Sox their first straight steal of home since Billy Hatcher did it on April 22, 1994 against the Angels.

It hasn’t taken the 25-year-old Ellsbury long to establish a reputation as a dare devil on the bases, and last night he became Evel Knievel clearing a row of dump trucks.

“The biggest thing is getting the courage to go,” Ellsbury said. “In that situation, bases loaded, you’ve got to make it. It could be one of the worst base-running mistakes if you don’t make it.”

Kevin Youkilis had been intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs after David Ortiz’s RBI double gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead, sending Ellsbury to third in the process. Andy Pettitte had a 1-1 count on J.D. Drew, when Ellsbury began inching down the third-base line, extending his lead to about 20 feet.

But neither Pettitte, who was working from the windup, nor third baseman Angel Berroa (he was playing back) seemed to notice. Ellsbury broke for the plate and stumbled the last few steps, but slid head first and beat the tag from Posada.

“When I was running down the line from third to home, everything felt like it was happening in slow motion,” Ellsbury said.

Drew’s ensuing RBI double put the Red Sox ahead 4-1 and in position to complete the three-game sweep.

mpuma@nypost.com