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Red Sox look to stay alive, halt Rays onslaught

Oct 16, 2008 - 10:06 AM American League Championship Series Rays lead 3-1

Tampa Bay at Boston, 8:07 p.m. EDT

BOSTON (Ticker) -- On the heels of an impressive offensive assault, the Tampa Bay Rays are one win away from their first World Series.

Winning the clinching game against the Boston Red Sox is easier said than done.

Boston hopes to stay alive on Thursday when it hosts Tampa Bay in Game Five of the American League Championship Series.

The Rays battered Jon Lester in Game Three on Monday, posting a 9-1 victory and followed that with a 13-4 thrashing against Tim Wakefield and the Red Sox bullpen on Tuesday to take a three-games-to-one lead.

Carl Crawford went 5-for-5 and Willy Aybar drove in five runs in Game Four for Tampa Bay, which has hit 10 home runs in the last three games. The club is one win away from joining the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.

"We're really excited right now," Crawford said. "It's right there for us to get, and I just hope we can get it."

Large deficits in a series are nothing new to the Red Sox, who rallied from three-games-to-one down last season against the Cleveland Indians. Boston also became the first team in baseball history to come back from a 3-0 series deficit in 2004, defeating the New York Yankees en route to the World Series.

However, both managers are downplaying recent history.

"Every year, every team is unique," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We're a different team, they're a different team than they were last year. Everything is different. Of course, they could probably draw some strength knowing that they've done it before, but as far as we're concerned, I want us to focus on us, period."

"I hope it's relevant," Francona said. "I think every year is different. But rather than burden ourselves with what we look at four days from now, we'll set our sights on our next game and we'll come packed. That's, I think, the best way to go about it."

Tampa Bay will turn to Scott Kazmir (1-0, 6.52 ERA), who was moved up one game after he was originally scheduled to pitch Game Six. The Rays bumped James Shields due to his success at Tropicana Field.

Kazmir struggled in his start against the Red Sox on Saturday, allowing five runs and six hits - including three homers - in 4 1/3 innings. The lefthander is 4-4 with a 3.02 ERA in 11 career starts at Fenway Park.

Boston will counter with Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-0, 2.25), who was brilliant in the team's Game One victory.

The 28-year-old righthander carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, striking out nine in seven scoreless frames. He allowed four hits and walked four.

Matsuzaka will need some of Boston's key bats to get going.

David Ortiz recorded his first hit in the series with a seventh-inning triple on Tuesday, while Jacoby Ellsbury is 0-for-18 in his last four postseason contests. J.D. Drew (2-for-13) and rookie Jed Lowrie (1-for-10) have also struggled.