They came from behind in all three games and trailed Sunday on Brett Gardner's sacrifice fly in the third. But the Red Sox tied it on a sacrifice fly by David Ortiz in the bottom of the inning.
In the fifth, Ortiz doubled in the go-ahead run before Kevin Youkilis was walked intentionally to load the bases. As Pettitte began his windup with J.D. Drew at bat, Ellsbury raced home and slid in headfirst ahead of Jorge Posada's tag. Drew then made it 4-1 with a ground-rule double.
Justin Masterson (2-0) pitched 5 1-3 innings in his second start in place of Daisuke Matsuzaka, who is on the disabled list with shoulder problems. Takashi Saito pitched the ninth for his second save.
Pettitte (2-1) dropped to 17-2 in 24 starts when trying to prevent the Yankees from getting swept, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Ellsbury's steal was the latest dramatic play in a series full of them for the Red Sox.
They won 5-4 Friday night when Jason Bay tied the game with a two-run homer off Mariano Rivera in the ninth and won it on Youkilis' homer in the 11th.
Boston won 16-11 on Saturday, overcoming a 6-0 deficit with a total of six RBIs from Mike Lowell in the seventh and eighth innings.
Sunday's game was calm by comparison.
Pettitte struck out the side in the fourth before struggling with his control in the fifth. He walked Jason Varitek, struck out Nick Green and walked Ellsbury. The runners stayed put on Dustin Pedroia's fly out to center.
Then Ortiz, who had been struggling, doubled off the left-field wall, scoring Varitek and sending Ellsbury to third. Youkilis, who began the day with a major-league best .444 batting average, then was walked so Pettitte could face Drew, who already had struck out twice.
But Ellsbury, who had stolen second base in the second, spotted third baseman Angel Berroa playing far off the bag and started down the line. Then, when Pettitte started his windup, Ellsbury raced home for his 10th steal of the season.
In the top of the fifth with two outs and Derek Jeter at first, Mark Teixeira hit a deep fly that right fielder Drew caught in front of the Red Sox bullpen. Teixeira, pursued in the offseason by the Red Sox as a free agent, went 0-for-4 Sunday and was 2-for-10 with five walks in the series.
Notes:Jeter tied Mickey Mantle for the Yankees record of 8,102 career at bats when he struck out in the seventh. ... Johnny Damon got the day off until he flied out as a pinch-hitter to end the game. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said his knee, shoulder and back are "a little banged up." . ... Capt. Richard Phillips of the cargo ship Maersk Alabama threw out a ceremonial first pitch. The resident of Jericho, Vt., spent five days as a hostage of Somali pirates. Jack Parker, coach of NCAA hockey champion Boston University also threw out a ceremonial pitch with his players standing behind him. ... Robinson Cano extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Lowell's reached 10.
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