Pedroia slams the door shut

Dustin Pedroia connects in the eighth inning for his first career grand slam and first home run ever at Yankee Stadium. (JIM MCISAAC/Associated Press)

NEW YORK - As he rounded the bases after hitting his first career grand slam in the Red Sox' 11-3 demolition of the New York Yankees last night, Dustin Pedroia seemed to put his blinders on, so he didn't see Jonathan Papelbon standing in the Sox' bullpen, signaling where Pedroia's rocket had splashed down.

"No, I didn't see that," Pedroia said. "Pap, he'll do anything. He's crazy."

It was the first time Pedroia had homered at Yankee Stadium, but he refused to let himself get too nostalgic. Was he thrilled about it?

"Yeah, it was awesome," said Pedroia, whose slam off Yankees reliever David Robertson highlighted not only his 3-for-5 night (with a season-high four RBIs) but proved the crowning blow of a six-hit, seven-run outburst with one out in the eighth that sent a sullen Yankee Stadium crowd of 55,027 rushing for the exits.

"Honestly, I didn't think I hit it out," Pedroia said.

He could've fooled Sox manager Terry Francona.

"He put a big swing on that ball," Francona said.

Pedroia, however, didn't think it had a chance of even reaching the fence, let alone clearing it.

"I thought it was going to the gap because it was [toward] the big part of the yard," he said.

Yankees fans watched the Sox bludgeon five pitchers for 11 runs on 13 hits, with Pedroia's blow laying them low and leaving them fearful of a dark Stadium during the playoffs, which would be a first after 13 consecutive postseason trips.

"It was one of those ones where as soon as he hit it, you knew it was gone," said Papelbon, who had a perfect view. "It put the nail in the coffin, you know?"

Maybe so, but it "helped space out the game," Francona said, referring to his pitching, which came as an added bonus to the bullpen.

"It's definitely nice to give those back-end guys some rest," Pedroia said. "They threw yesterday and did a good job and it's nice, especially this late in the year, not to abuse them."

Rather, it was the Yankees' bullpen that got abused - by Pedroia and by Jason Bay, who went 2 for 4 with four RBIs - after starter Sidney Ponson lasted just 4 2/3 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits.

Asked about Pedroia, Bay shook his head and smiled. "He's the Energizer bunny of this team. He always seems to start things up. There's not too many guys who can slice the ball over first base and then come back and get a grand slam.

"He's a beauty."

Who carries a big stick. And can swing it, too.

"I don't think anybody's just content with winning these two games," said Pedroia, who has scored 101 runs this season, second most by a Sox second baseman behind Bobby Doerr's 103 in 1950. "We're definitely going to come out tomorrow and play as hard as we can. Hopefully, we can win that game, too. There's only 30 games left, so we're trying to win as many as we can."

Michael Vega can be reached at vega@globe.com.