SPORTS> North America
Red Sox squeeze past Rays to stay alive
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-10-17 14:08
BOSTON- The Boston Red Sox rallied from a 7-0 deficit to record an 8-7 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in the early hours of Friday to stay alive in the American League Championship Series.

Boston Red Sox' J.D. Drew celebrates with team mates after driving in the winning run in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays during Game 5 of Major League Baseball's ALCS playoff series in Boston, October 16, 2008. [Agencies]

The Rays now lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 with the final two games to be held in St Petersburg.

The winner of the ALCS will meet the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.

Outfielder J.D. Drew drove in Kevin Youklis for the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, after he had also hit an eighth-inning two run-homer.

The Red Sox rally, however, had begun in the seventh inning when a single by second-baseman Dustin Pedroia scored shortstop Jed Lowrie to put Boston on the board.

David Ortiz followed up with a three-run homer into right field, snapping his 15-game slump without a home run and rousing Fenway Park's 38,437 fans from their seats and into roars of "Let's Go Red Sox."

Drew's eighth inning homer kept the momentum going before centrefielder Coco Crisp tied the game with a single that scored Mark Kotsay.

Youklis fouled off a number of pitches before he hit a grounder to third baseman Evan Longoria, whose throw to first went astray and allowed Youklis to advance to second.

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