Jacoby Ellsbury is saving the Red Sox season.

After hitting two home runs in Game 1 of the Sox’ doubleheader against the Yankees Sunday, the outfielder came through with perhaps the biggest homer of his team’s season in the 14th inning of Game 2. With two outs in the 14th inning, Ellsbury took Scott Proctor over the center field fence for a three-run homer, handing the Sox a much-needed 7-4, 14-inning win over New York at Yankee Stadium.

With the Game 2 victory, the Red Sox head into their final three regular season games with a one-game lead over the Rays in the wild card standings. The Sox will now play the Orioles in Baltimore, while Tampa Bay hosts the Yankees for three games.

Here is what went right (and wrong) in the Red Sox’ win:

WHAT WENT RIGHT

- John Lackey turned in a solid outing after allowing three quick runs in the first inning. Following the initial frame, the starter settled down, finishing his six-inning outing by giving up four runs on five hits over six innings. The starter had faced the minimum number of batters over his previous 4 2/3 innings entering the seventh inning before leaving for reliever Alfredo Aceves following Eric Chavez’ leadoff single.

- The bullpen came up huge for the Red Sox, with the group of Aceves, Daniel Bard, Jonathan Papelbon, Franlkin Morales and Felix Doubront teaming to pitch eight scoreless innings, allowing just one hit.

- Jason Varitek, who came into the game having gone 1-for-24 in September, came through with the biggest hit for the Sox in quite some time, sending a single up the middle against Yankees starter Ivan Nova to score Marco Scutaro with the go-ahead run.

- Scutaro completed the comeback in the seventh for the Red Sox, doubling in pinch-runner Mike Aviles. It made the shortstop 11-for-26 with runners in scoring position in September, a month he came into the game hitting .377 in.

- Jed Lowrie came through in his return to the starting lineup, notching a triple and double, both of which resulted in Red Sox’ runs. Both hits came with Lowrie hitting left-handed, a side he had managed just a 2-for-24 clip from throughout September.

- J.D. Drew, playing in his first game since July 19, made his presence felt with an RBI single in the fifth inning, scoring Lowrie with the Red Sox’ first run.

- Papelbon, the most effective pitcher in baseball with the bases loaded in the past five seasons, struck out Austin Romine with the bases full to end the Yankees threat in the ninth inning. The closer has now struck out eight of the nine batters he has faced with the bases full this season.

WHAT WENT WRONG

- Dustin Pedroia’s bid at tying the game with two outs in the sixth inning fell short, with the second baseman attempting to make it home from third on a wild pitch from Nova. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, Nova’s errant toss hit the backstop and ricocheted straight back to catcher Austin Romine for an easy out.

- The Red Sox would have tied the game earlier in the sixth inning if not for a stellar play by Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira on a sharp grounder off the bat of Adrian Gonzalez. If through, the play would have surely scored Sox baserunners Carl Crawford and Pedroia from second and third, respectively.

- Lackey struggled through another first inning, allowing three runs when Mark Teixeira launched a ball off the very top of the center field wall to score a pair. Teixeira proceeded to come in with the third run when Varitek’s throw trying to nab the baserunner at third base went wide for a throwing error. Coming into the game, the starter had allowed his opponents a .341 batting average and 23 runs in his 27 first innings this season.

- The at-bat before notching the go-ahead single, Varitek was plunked with a cutter from Nova in the right knee. The pitch would ultimately push the catcher out of the game in favor of pinch-runner Joey Gathright after the Sox’ captain gave his team a lead. Adding insult to injury was Gathright getting caught in a rundown after trying to steal off Yankees’ reliever Boone Logan.

- After leading off the eighth inning with a single, Carl Crawford was caught stealing while trying to go on Rafael Soriano’s first pitch to Pedroia. It was the sixth time this season in 24 attempts Crawford has been gunned down.

- Aceves wasn’t able to hold the lead for Lackey, throwing a wild pitch which allowed pinch-runner Brett Gardner to reach second, which then resulted in the baserunner moving to third on a Jesus Montero ground out and home via Chris Dickerson’s sacrifice fly to center field.

- The Red Sox stranded the potential go-ahead runner at third base in the ninth inning, with Mariano Rivera striking out Jarrod Saltalamacchia to end the inning. Lars Anderson had reached third after pinch-running for Adrian Gonzalez, who led off the frame with a single. Anderson moved to second on Aviles’ sacrifice bunt, and third when Drew grounded out to first.