The Tampa Bay Rays stunned Jon Lester and the Boston Red Sox with four home runs — three over Fenway Park’s Green Monster — in a 9-1 win that pushed the Rays ahead in the series 2-1.

Already up 1-0, Tampa Bay’s B.J. Upton slammed a three-run homer in the third — his fifth homer of the postseason — and Evan Longoria followed with a solo homer and by the end of the third inning, the Rays were in control 5-0.

At that point, Rays’ starter Matt Garza took over and cruised through six innings before being removed in the seventh inning after allowing the first two batters to reach base.  Reliever J.P. Howell allowed a sacrifice fly and got Dustin Pedroia to ground into a double play to hold the Red Sox to just one run.

In the eighth, Rocco Baldelli added a three-run home run to push the lead to 8-1 and a solo home run by Carlos Pena in the ninth extended the lead to 9-1.

The Rays used Edwin Jackson in a rare relief role in the ninth and he pitched a one, two, three inning to close out the game and seal the Rays’ second win of the series.  The ALCS resumes on Tuesday night with Tim Wakefield on the mound for Boston and Andy Sonnanstine the starter for the Rays.

NOTES:  Longoria’s solo shot in the third inning was his fourth of the postseason.  He is now tied with Miguel Cabrera (in 2003) for the rookie record for home runs in a postseason… Carl Crawford bowled over Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek in the eighth inning on a close play at the plate but the game played out with no retaliation from Boston and the play looked clean… Upton has a six-game postseason hitting streak and five postseason home runs — he hit only nine regular season home runs… Before Upton’s home run, Lester pitched 25 consecutive innings without an earned run… The Rays four home runs tied an ALCS team record held by nine other teams including their opponents who hit four on Saturday.

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RAYS’ THREE KEYS (From Season Preview)

• Manufactured Runs

Most of the damage was done with the long ball but the Rays did get on board in the second with a manufactured run that came on a Dioner Navarro ground out.

• Have Wheeler Step Up

It’s unlikely that Dan Wheeler was available for this game after his extended outing on Saturday.  J.P. Howell and Edwin Jackson stepped up in the absence of the rest of the tired ‘pen.

• Play Beyond Their Experience

After their Game 1 struggles, the young Rays have looked poised and ready to go.  They faced an especially challenging situation against Jon Lester on Monday but passed the test with flying colors.  Comments before the game showed that Matt Garza took it a little personal many already handed the victory to the Red Sox because Lester was the starter and answered with a six-inning, six-hit, one-run gem of an outing.

RED SOX’ THREE KEYS

• Safely Get From Starter to Papelbon

Starter Jon Lester got smacked around for five runs in 5-2/3 innings and gave way to Paul Byrd who took one on the chin for their tired bullpen.  However, Byrd did not keep the game within striking distance as he allowed a three-run homer in the eighth to extend the lead from four to seven.

• Get a Quality Start from Beckett or Wakefield

It was only a matter of time before Matsuzaka or Lester faltered.  The weight of the world is on Tim Wakefield’s knuckler on Tuesday night.  If the Red Sox drop two in a row at Fenway, they will be charged with the task of beating the Rays three games in a row including two at Tropicana Field.

• Make the Rays’ Starters Work

They made Matt Garza work a little bit and drew three walks in six-plus.  Garza was pulled in the seventh after throwing 116 pitches and accomplished exactly what the Rays ordered up to relieve some pressure off of their oft-worked bullpen following Game 2’s marathon.

STAR OF THE GAME

B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay Rays

Sure, the Rockyreferences should be reserved for the Phillies-Dodgers series but no analogy is better than a scene from Rocky IV.  Right after Rocky cut Russian Ivan Drago, trainer Duke says, “You see?  You see?  He’s not a machine, he’s a man, he’s a man!”  Then, the undersized Rocky Balboa went out and finished the ‘roid raged Russian.  Upton’s three-run jack against the previously unstoppable force that was Jon Lester had exactly the same effect.  Two batters later Even Longoria followed with a solo shot and the pitching staff did the rest.  But it was Upton’s blast over the monster that “cut” Lester, the Red Sox and the Nation.

Albert Pujols has officially undergone Tommy John surgery. In early September, as the Cardinals were falling out of playoff contention, Pujols was contemplating Tommy John surgery, which had been speculated about during Spring Training. The speculation, at that time, was that Pujols would not last this season, and the ulnar colateral ligament in his elbow would need to be ‘fixed’ in order for him to hit at an elite level again.

We have gone from Opening Day to the Championship Series and Pujols had, what is arguably the best season of his career. Not only was Pujols’ OPS (On base plus slugging percentage) the highest of his career, but so too was the luck nuetralized EqA (Equivalent Average-”A measure of total offensive value per out, with corrections for league offensive level, home park, and team pitching”). Interestingly, an ‘injured’ Pujols was better then any other hitter in the major leagues-as per EqA.

I had picked the Cardinals to win the division this season, I wonder what would have been if Pujols had been ‘healthy’ (wild guess-ridiculous!).

…Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Proctor who was left off the NLCS roster, has opted to have surgery on his pitching elbow on Wednesday. He’ll have a partially torn flexor tendon repaired and bone spurs shaved down.

Quoth Joe Torre:

“He had told me if he wasn’t on the roster, he was planning on surgery and the sooner the better,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. “We know for sure, if we’re in the World Series, both [Takashi] Saito and [Ramon] Troncoso would be ahead of him [if a pitching change to the roster was made].”

…It looks as though the Chicago White Sox are commiting to putting Clayton Richards into the starting rotation next season, joining Mark Buerhle, John Danks and Gavin Floyd. It’s still up in the air whether or not Javier Vasquez will return to the Pale Hose for 2009.

…According to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer the Cleveland Indians are close to signing utility infielder Jamey Carrol sometime this week. They will more than likely exercise his club option for $2.5MM.

“We want him back and there’s a good chance it will happen,” said GM Mark Shapiro. “We’ve had some positive conversations.”

…John Romano of the St. Petersburg Times is reporting that Rays manager Joe Maddon is debating whether or not to move southpaw Scott Kazmir up in the rotation and have him pitch in game 5 at Fenway. Even though he’s been in a bit of a funk, his manager doesn’t have any reservations about using him.

…According to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union Tribune the San Diego Padres have pretty much decided on who’s going to replace former hitting coach Wally Joiner. Its most likely going to be Jim Lefebvre, one of the reasons is his ties to CEO Sandy Alderson.

Quoth GM Kevin Towers.

“He certainly understands the program that’s been implemented in our minor league system and is very familiar with our players that came up this year, and ones that could be coming up,” Towers said.

“He’s very passionate about the game. He has tons of energy. He is very positive and thorough. He wants to do an analysis of every player on our 40-man roster and work with them on a one-on-one basis, even before we get to spring training.”

I still haven’t seen a single pitch of the playoffs this year. I’ve got nothing against them, mind you, it’s just that after suffering through my Padres’ 99-loss season (and to a much lesser extent, the Royals’ 87-loss season — although that at least represents their best showing since ‘03) I’m sick of watching actual games.

I probably shouldn’t admit this sort of thing, but I’m a lousy liar. I can’t just go around pretending to be excited about the prospect of a Dodgers/Red Sox World Series or whatever. It’s not like I’m getting a cut of the profits.

That said, the story about the 12-year-old Rays fan who got suspended for sporting a Mohawk in support of his team slays me. First off, how uptight are public schools these days? Granted, I grew up in a large metropolitan area where a Mohawk in junior high wouldn’t necessarily get you a second glance, but really? A Mohawk? If that’s the worst a kid can do, we should all be so lucky.

Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything. Heh.

Anyway, more importantly, I love that the Rays supported this kid’s fandom and gave him the five-star treatment at Game 2 of the ALCS. The best part? From the article: “First baseman Carlos Pena offered to write the youngster’s former principal a note.”

Where do you even start with something like that? “Dear Principal Downer: Please excuse Zachary’s hairstyle. Signed, Epstein’s mother.”

Yeah, I’m pretty sure if the Rays reach the World Series, I’ll watch an inning in their honor. Any team whose players would rally around a kid trying to show his support for them is okay in my book.

In a near must-win situation in their first game in L.A., the Dodgers jumped all over 45-year-old Jamie Moyer and tagged him for five runs, created some early tension and cruised to a 7-2 victory to close the Phillies’ series lead to 2-1.

With the bases loaded and the team already up 2-0, rookie Blake DeWitt hit a bases-clearing triple with two outs in the first in a move that swung momentum quickly in the direction of the Dodgers.

In the second, Moyer was chased after a Rafael Furcal solo home run.  Tensions rose later in the inning after Phillies’ reliever Clay Condrey threw an inside pitch that backed Dodgers’ catcher Russell Martin off the plate.  Martin, hit in the knee by a soft toss from Moyer in the first, was visibly irritated by the inside pitch.  After grounding into an inning-ending double play, Martin took his frustrations out on his helmet, the dugout and a cooler before gearing up.

In the third, Hiroki Kuroda sent a message to the Phillies’ dugout with a high fastball that flew close to Shane Victorino’s head.  Victorino took exception with the location of the pitch and quickly tried to educate Kuroda on where a “message” pitch should be located before grounding out to end the third.  As the players exited the field, Kuroda and Victorino lingered near each other a little too long and the benches cleared.  After some shoving and shouting and finger pointing, the game resumed and both pitchers were warned.

After the game a few Phillies acknowledged that they expected to be sent a message by the Dodgers’ pitchers but felt the location of the pitch was unacceptable.

“I have a problem any time you start throwing over somebody’s head,” said manager Charlie Manuel.  Manuel explained how pitching inside is part of the game but also mentioned the dangers of throwing near someone’s head.  “You start throwing the ball up around people’s head or like around the face, that’s no place in baseball for that.”

Kuroda claimed ignorance after the game.

“I tried to pitch inside and it slipped out of my hand,” said Kuroda through a translator.

The Phillies threatened in the seventh but before the Phillies got to Kuroda, manager Joe Torre turned to the bullpen and minimized the damage to just one run. 

“Cory Wade really came in and did the job [with] first and second and nobody out.  And he pitched the two innings,” said Torre.  “I thought that was huge for us at the time.  Because [the Phillies are] very explosive, no question.”

Jonathan Broxton closed out the ninth to cap the 7-2 victory.  Action resumes on Monday with Derek Lowe pitching on short rest for the Dodgers against Philadelphia’s Joe Blanton for Game 4.

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DODGERS’ THREE KEYS (From Series Preview)

• Manny, Manny, Manny!

Ramirez’s single in the first plated the first run of the game and he scored on the bases-clearing triple by DeWitt.  Ramirez reached base three times and scored the seventh run of the game in the fourth.  Just Manny being Manny.

• Youth Movement

Blake DeWitt’s triple in the first broke the game open in the first.

• Continue to Make the Right Decisions

Kuroda pitched well and was hoisted at the first sign of trouble by Torre.  The move prevented a big inning for the Phillies.  The bigger move came earlier when the club announced that Derek Lowe was slated to pitch Game 4 on short rest.  The only time Lowe pitched on short rest in ‘08 came on May 18 and he was shelled by the Angels for seven runs on 10 hits in five innings.  The move completely flips the pitching match-ups for the rest of the series and allows Torre to bring back Lowe for a third start in Game 7 if necessary.

PHILLIES’ THREE KEYS

• Production from Utley and Howard

Utley and Howard were a combined 3-for-7 and scored the only two Phillies’ runs.  While it was not enough to spark an improbable comeback late, it is a good sign especially for the slumping Howard.  The move to start Lowe in Game 4 means the team will continue to see right-handed pitching early in the game.

• DEFENSE!

Defense was good but it was a blowout. 

• Continue Bullpen Dominance

After Moyer, the bullpen kept the game a big inning away.  Clay Condrey, J.A. Happ, Scott Eyre, Chad Durbin and J.C. Romero combined to pitch 6-2/3 innings and allowed one run on four hits.

STAR OF THE GAME

Blake DeWitt, Los Angeles Dodgers

Kuroda’s pitching performance was solid but it was DeWitt’s bases loaded triple in the first that opened the game up and turned the Phillies’ early uphill climb into a mountain.  DeWitt also played his usual solid game in the field also.