BOSTON -- Cody Ross is getting used to the postgame podium.
It's a place you only go if you're the manager, that night's starting pitcher, or the unquestionable hero.
Ross' two home runs and six RBIs in Wednesday's night's 10-1 win got him a podium appearance, a floor above the Red Sox clubhouse. And his ninth-inning, three-run walk-off home run in Thursday night's 3-1 win over Chicago put him there again, for the second straight night.
"I want to be the guy up every time in that situation," said Ross afterwards. "I always have, my whole life. I just like that pressure, and I like just being there in the moment."
Hitting in the number five spot in Boston's lineup, Ross stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with Dustin Pedroia on second base and Nick Punto on first, one out, and the Red Sox trailing 1-0.
Ross ripped a 1-1 inside fastball down the left-field line and into the monster seats, forcing the rest of the team to greet him at home plate.
"In that situation, with a runner on second, I'm just trying to get a pitch I can handle and get good wood on it, and just try to create something," said Ross. "Fortunately, he threw me a fastball in, and it was really in. And I just kind of dropped the head on the ball, and kept it fair somehow.
"I look up and Punto's staring right at me with this evil look on his face," Ross added on the celebration at home plate. "And he grabs my jersey and just starts yanking on it. He became famous in St. Louis for that. They call him the shredder. So, we got to meet the shredder tonight."
And at first, Ross wasn't sure it was going out.
"As soon as it left my bat, I got this really exciting feeling," said Ross. "And then I had flashbacks of Wednesday night, when I hit the same ball that hit the wall. And I was thinking, 'OK, even if it hits the wall, Punto's fast enough to score from first, and we'll still win 2-1.' So, that was all going through my mind."
Ross finished the game 2-for-4 and it marked his third-career walk-off home run, proving again, that he likes to have the pressure on him.
"He loves that situation," said Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine afterwards. "He loves to be in the big spotlight, and you know, he went deep, three runs, we win. That's as much fun as the guys have had in a long time. It's a good feeling.
"I love his smile, I love his swing, I love his energy," Valentine later added. "What's there not to love? Especially tonight."