Sox right fielder J.D. Drew makes a vain attempt to catch a fly ball by the Angels’ Erick Aybar that was a ground-rule double.

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The Journal / Bob Breidenbach

BOSTON –– Forget that debate about whether Jacoby Ellsbury is ready for full-time duty.

If anyone still needed convincing that the young outfielder is for real, they received a huge dose of it last night when Ellsbury led the Red Sox to a 7-6 victory over the Angels.

The speedy outfielder had the first two home run game of his career and later helped win it with his feet. He beat out a bunt single in the bottom of the eighth, then zoomed around the bases on Dustin Pedroia’s third double, and fourth hit, of the night to provide the winning run.

Sox manager Terry Francona has seen that type of game before, from the player Ellsbury often has been compared to, Johnny Damon.

“(That was) a little Damonesque,” Francona said of Ellsbury’s performance. “He can change the game with his legs.”

With Coco Crisp having hamstring problems and being unable to play for the past week, Ellsbury has thrived. He is now 13-for-35, with 11 walks, in the last 12 games. That has raised his average from .176, to .308. Ellsbury has scored at least once in 11 of his last 12 starts.

“I feel pretty good,” he said. “From game one of the season until now my batting average wasn’t showing how I was feeling at the plate. So it’s nice to get rolling a little bit. But I felt from game one that I was swinging the bat well.”

Ellsbury’s power helped the Sox rally from a 5-1 deficit. Boston had to go without its scheduled starter, Josh Beckett, who was a late scratch because of a stiff neck. David Pauley, who has been on call for three days, was brought in to replace him. Pauley began well, retiring the first six men he faced, but was tagged for three runs in the third and two in the fourth.

The way Boston is hitting, though, no deficit is too big. The Sox rallied for their 11th come-from behind victory, with Ellsbury and Pedroia leading the way.

On a night that featured 27 hits, it was speed — Ellsbury’s speed — that provided the deciding run. Ellsbury came up against lefty Darren Oliver with one out and no one on in the eighth. He put down a perfect bunt between the pitcher’s mound and first that he easily beat out. He drew much attention from Scot Shields, who came on in relief for the Angels.

“Teams have to respect his speed,” Francona noted. “The Angels play that way. Our team is not really constituted that way, but we have some guys that can do that. We try to use it to our advantage.”

With the count 2-1, Pedroia pulled a shot just inside the bag at third. Ellsbury took off with the thought of scoring.

“I ran to second like I was going to score the whole way. I saw DeMarlo (Hale, the third-base coach) wave me in. I knew I was going to be scoring from there,” he said.

The ball missed the stands that jut out near the foul line and rolled down in the corner. Ellsbury scored easily.

“His bunt was awesome. He’s very exciting to watch,” Pedroia said. “His speed can take over a game . . . I was just trying to run to second base. I looked up and he was already home. Dang.”

Francona loves Ellsbury’s attitude as well as his speed.

“He’s a pretty mature young kid. He asks good questions. He’s not afraid to ask questions,” the manager said. “All our young guys do that, but he’s leading off and he’s been in some big games for us. It’s very reassuring.”

It was the 10th straight game in which the Sox have scored at least five runs, the first time the team has done that since June 17-28, 2006. The Sox have won seven straight at Fenway. The team has had at least 11 hits in nine of its last 10 starts with a schedule that was thought to be one of the toughest stretches of the season.

They are not only winning. They are winning with a flair.

pkenyon@projo.com