SEATTLE — Jacoby Ellsbury has earned some earthy nicknames over the years, mostly stemming from his six seasons with the Boston Red Sox.

“He’s what you would call a dirt rat,” said Mariners Manager Lloyd McClendon, using what was actually a term of respect from those years, which included World Series titles in 2007 and 2013. “He gets after it. He tries to beat you in a lot of different ways. He beat us in two different ways” on Tuesday.

Ellsbury drove in the deciding run with a single in the eighth inning on Tuesday as the Yankees won, 3-2. In the fourth, he had made a dazzling catch against the center-field wall to save two runs.

“He’s a good hitter,” said Felix Hernandez, the Mariners’ ace. “He can steal a base. He can change the game in different ways.”