Sox take lead in fifth, 2-0

NEW YORK --- Now before you get all worked up about the out call of second base umpire Jim Reynolds on Jacoby Ellsbury's fifth-inning steal attempt, this is one instance where Major League's implementation of instant replay would not have applied.

Which explained, of course, why Sox manager Terry Francona was quick to emerge from the visitor's dugout to debate Reynolds on his call. From our view up in the press box at Yankee Stadium, it initially appeared Ellsbury had slid underneath the tag of second baseman Robinson Cano.

However, upon further review, replays that were shown on the monitors in the press box showed that Cano applied his tag a fraction of a second before Ellsbury's foot reached the bag. So, in this case, even if instant replay were available, Francona would have lost any appeal he would have made to try to have umpires review the play.

The Sox, though, did manage to take a 2-0 lead on run-scoring singles by Jason Varitek and Ellsbury off Yankees starter Mike Mussina.

Face in the crowd: Back from Bejing, where he helped the US men's basketball team win the gold, Jason Kidd was spotted in the fifth inning seated behind the backstop, wearing a Yankees ballcap.