JD Drew hit an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth, propelling the Boston Red Sox to an improbable 8-7 come-from-behind win over Tampa in Game 5 of the American League Championship series on Thursday.
David Ortiz hit a three-run homer and Drew added a two-run blast as the Red Sox remained alive in the best-of-seven Major League Baseball semi-final series.
“It was pretty magical,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “This place came unglued.”
PHOTO: EPA
The Red Sox trail in the series 3-2 with Game 6 scheduled for today at Tampa.
“I just tried to stay relaxed and get a good pitch to hit,” Drew said. “This team has battled all year. We were down seven runs but we know we can make that up. A couple of big hits and it worked out.”
The Red Sox, who made history when they became the first team in major league history to overcome a three-games-to-none deficit to win the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees in 2004, are trying to come back from being down three games to one for the second consecutive season.
After the Red Sox came all the way back to erase a 7-0 deficit and forge a tie on Thursday, Kevin Youkilis began the ninth-inning rally with a two-out infield single.
Third baseman Evan Longoria, who made a tremendous play to field the ball, made a throwing error, allowing Youkilis to advance to second base.
Jason Bay was walked intentionally to bring up Drew, who lined a shot over right fielder Gabe Gross’ head, plating Youkilis with the winning run.
After being outscored 29-5 over the first 24 innings at Fenway Park in the series, Boston finally woke up against Tampa Bay’s bullpen.
Ortiz snapped a 61 at-bat postseason homerless drought with a three-run blast in the seventh for Boston, which engineered the second biggest come-from-behind win in MLB playoff history.
“I am the kind of guy that fights back,” Ortiz said. “It doesn’t matter the situation.”
Jed Lowrie sparked the rally with a leadoff double off Grant Balfour in the seventh.
The Rays’ righthander looked to be on his way to stranding the runner when he retired the next two batters on flyouts to center field, but Coco Crisp kept alive the inning with a single to left.
“We just weren’t able to make pitches tonight,” said Tampa’s Dan Wheeler. “You got to tip your hat to them because they were able to come back.”
Dustin Pedroia battled Balfour in an eight-pitch at-bat, culminating with an RBI single to right.
Ortiz followed and drove a 1-0 pitch deep into the right field stands for a three-run blast, bringing the Red Sox within 7-4.
After Jonathan Papelbon shut down the side in order in the top of the eighth, Boston’s bats went back to work in the bottom of the frame against Wheeler.
Jason Bay walked on four pitches, bringing Drew to the plate.
The lefthanded slugger took a strike before launching a fastball into the right field seats.
Wheeler retired the next two hitters before Mark Kotsay sent a drive to deep left-center field, just over the outstretched glove of B.J. Upton.
Crisp then plated the tying run, fouling off five pitches in a 10-pitch at-bat before slapping a single into right field to score Kotsay.
“Coco’s at-bat was probably the best at-bat he’s had as a Red Sock,” Boston manager Francona said.
Tampa manager Joe Madden said: “If we had won we would be in World Series right now.”
“Nobody feels worse than the guys in our bullpen. I thought we played a great game. You can’t dwell on it. We have to move on. We have another game to play,” he said.
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