---

ATTLEBORO

Ellsbury, this one's for you.

Well, it's really for the free taco the Red Sox outfielder earned all of America by stealing second base during Game 2 of the World Series.

But Tuesday's execution of Taco Bell's "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" promotion was one more chance to rejoice in Boston's World Series win and bask in the after-glow of victory.

Hundreds of area residents flooded the Taco Bell in South Attleboro to claim their one free crunchy beef taco, waiting at a drive-through line dozens of cars deep, and cramming the fast food joint's in-store counter. (Among those who cashed in was Red Sox rookie outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who reportedly hit up a Boston Taco Bell for his lunch.)

"America will do anything for a free taco!" said Brendan O'Grady, 15, of North Attleboro. "I watched the World Series, but it's all for the tacos."

O'Grady and a few of his buddies said they "ran" down the street to Taco Bell, hoping to avoid the traffic jam that had police directing traffic on Newport Avenue, and a Taco Bell employee directing the drive through lane.

Taco Bell gave each customer one free taco from 2-5 p.m.

Gordon McKinnon, a Taco Bell franchisee, said the company specifically selected the base-stealing promotion because they knew it was likely to happen, and that they expected many to take part in the promotion.

"But this is record breaking. We though it would be big, but I don't think we dreamed it would be this big," McKinnon said.

"We researched the promotion, and we were happy to make it that."

While McKinnon promised that every customer in line - either of them - by 5 p.m. would get a free taco, people continued to hurry on in.

And most said that, yes, they were happy for the Sox, but they were even happier to be getting a free snack.

Jason Laurie, 18, and his friend, Karissa Arone, 17, both of Cumberland, R.I., knew about the promotion from watching the World Series. "We saw the head of Taco Bell say that if someone stole a base, there would be free tacos. And someone sure did," Laurie said. "Everything's good when it's free."

REBECCA KEISTER can be reached at 508-236-0336 or at rkeister@thesunchronicle.com.