MLB: Rays beat Red Sox 9-1 for 2-1 lead in AL Championship Series
By Erik Matuszewski
Bloomberg News
B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria hit third-inning home runs as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 9-1 in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.
Matt Garza took a shutout into the seventh inning at Fenway Park in Boston, while Upton hit a three-run homer and Longoria had a solo shot during the Rays' four-run third inning.
Baldelli added a three-run home run in the eighth inning and Carlos Pena had a solo blast in the ninth for Tampa Bay, which has won two straight to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of- seven Major League Baseball playoff series. The defending World Series-champion Red Sox host Game 4 tomorrow.
The AL pennant winner advances to the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies or Los Angeles Dodgers. The Phillies hold a 2-1 lead in the National League Championship Series, which continues with Game 4 tonight in Los Angeles.