Ellsbury's 54th theft of the season came against the lefty Pettitte, one of the best pickoff artists in the history of the sport.
The speedy center fielder needs just one swipe to own the franchise record for most steals in one season, and the third-year leadoff hitter is well on his way to owning the club's all-time stolen base record.
In just over two full seasons (292 career games) in the big leagues, Ellsbury already sits in seventh place on Boston's all-time list with 113 swipes. Once he reaches 130 steals, he'll pass Freddy Parent for sixth all-time. Ellsbury trails Harry Hooper, Boston's all-time leader with 300 swipes in his career by 187. Hooper accumulated the all-time mark over a 12-year career in Boston and never swiped more than 40 in one season.
