ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -The impact of Boston’s amazing comeback against Tampa Bay in Game 5 of the AL championship series was still hard to comprehend for several Red Sox players before Friday’s off-day workout.
“It really hasn’t sunken in yet,” outfielder Jason Bay said. “It was unbelievable.”
Down 7-0 in the seventh inning, the Red Sox rallied to beat Tampa Bay 8-7 Thursday night, cutting their ALCS deficit to 3-2.
“It wasn’t a good feeling,” Bay said. “They beat us pretty good. We didn’t have anything going. When we got it to 7-4, we knew we could make a run. I don’t know how we did it.”
David Ortiz, who hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning, said the feeling in the Red Sox dugout was “not good” before the late rally began.
“If anybody tells you something else, they’re lying,” Ortiz said. “Especially when you’re facing a team like that.”
The Red Sox are 25-11 all-time in games in which they could have been eliminated from a postseason series. Boston has won its last eight such ALCS games, a league championship series record.
efend its World Series title.
“As long as we’re playing baseball, something is going right,” manager Terry Francona said. “So we’re thrilled to be here. Now saying that, we have a job to do.”
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THE OTHER SIDE: Even after bashing their way to a three games to one lead in the ALCS, Rays pitcher Matt Garza and his teammates figured Boston had something left.
“We had a feeling that they were going to make a push like this,” Garza said. “This Red Sox team doesn’t go down quietly. So we’re just going to come out and keep fighting like we’ve done all year. Play hard for nine and see what happens.”
Garza would start Game 7 against Boston left-hander Jon Lester on Sunday night if the series goes that far. Tampa Bay’s James Shields will face Boston’s Josh Beckett in Game 6 Saturday night.
“We’ve dealt with adversity all year long,” Shields said. “The way we’ve come back each time has been impeccable.”
Rays manager Joe Maddon points out that Tampa Bay still took two of three at Fenway Park.
“They came back and beat us last night,” Maddon said. “I think that the thing that’s been overlooked is we played really well. We played well for three games in Fenway under very difficult circumstances. They’re defending champions. They’ve got the heart of a champion.”
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