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Ortiz plays the hero as Red Sox walk off with a win

Sep 13, 2007 - 4:47 AM BOSTON (Ticker) -- The game isn't over until Big Papi swings. David Ortiz hit a walk-off two-run blast in the ninth inning to give the Boston Red Sox a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Wednesday.

The All-Star slugger accounted for all five of his team's runs Wednesday, hitting a three-run homer in the third as well. He now has 31 blasts on the season.

Boston looked down and out going into the bottom of the ninth, but Julio Lugo drew a walk off Devil Rays closer Al Reyes (2-3) to open the frame. After Dustin Pedroia flied out to left field for the first out, Ortiz stepped to the plate.

Ortiz worked the count to 3-1 before lifting a fly ball to deep right field that landed in the first row of seats.

"I thought it was too high," Ortiz said. "That was a good pitch by Reyes, but I put a good swing on it. It looked like a cutter in. ... That's a pitch that you throw to guys who you don't want to get extended (arms).

"Wind was kind of crazy tonight but it worked the right way."

Tampa Bay right fielder Delmon Young took a circuitous route to the ball and could not get back to the wall in time to make the catch.

"I didn't go with the wind," Young said. "I had a chance if I stayed on the line. But it went towards the back part of the curve (of the wall). You're just trying to go catch it, just trying to go catch it. But he hit it good enough to get out, because he's really strong and got it into the jet stream, and just got over."

The blast was the the 13th regular-season walk-off homer for Ortiz as a member of the Red Sox (89-58) and ensured the club a five-game lead over the New York Yankees (83-62) in the American League East heading into their three-game series this weekend.

"It's not just the walk-off, it's the situation we're facing right now," Ortiz said. "They (Yankees) have been playing really good and you lose this game and then they win (Thursday) and it changes the whole thing. The way they've been playing, you want to be sure you win some games."

"It's that time of year and I think he's definitely one of the guys," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "He had good swings all night. He lined out a couple of times, he hit the three-run homer, that was up to that point our only offense. And he was seeing the ball real well."

Ortiz's heroics prevented the Devil Rays from capturing their first series victory here since 1999.

"They've done it for years," Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "Mo Vaughn used to do it for them. Now it's Papi doing it for them. And I've witnessed it in the past."

The Devil Rays jumped out early on Boston starter Jon Lester, scoring all of their runs in the opening frame. Akinori Iwamura walked to begin the frame and moved to second when Carl Crawford grounded out.

Carlos Pena followed with a single to drive in the game's first run, bringing B.J. Upton to the plate. The 23-year-old cleanup hitter sliced Lester's first offering down the right field line where it glanced off "Pesky's Pole" just 301 feet away.

It was the 24th homer of the year for Upton, who is enjoying a stellar first full season in the majors.

Tampa Bay tacked on one more run when Johnny Gomes singled to bring in Brendan Harris for a 4-0 lead.

Edwin Jackson turned in a great start for Tampa Bay after coming into Wednesday's contest having allowed 13 earned runs over his last two starts, spanning just nine innings.

He had no such struggle against Boston, limiting an offense that put 16 runs and 20 hits on the board Tuesday to three runs and eight hits in six frames.

"My job as a starter is to go out and give the team a chance to win," Jackson said. "Regardless of how pretty or how bad it looks. You go out just to keep the team in the game."

Jackson walked three and struck out six.

Lester was pulled after just 3 2/3 frames and charged with four runs and eight hits while walking four and striking out five.

Closer Jonathan Papelbon (1-2) picked up his first win of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.

"We have the make-up and the ballclub that you're going to have to get 27 outs with the lead to beat us and that's a big thing for us now going into this series, kind of setting that statement that this ballgame ain't over until you get those 27 outs against us," Papelbon said.