- (Sports Network) - Jon Lester tries to continue his tremendous postseason when the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays play Game 3 of the American League Championship Series this afternoon, as the best-of-seven set shifts to Fenway Park. Lester was tremendous in his two Division Series starts against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, picking up a win while surrendering just one unearned run in 14 innings. He is 2-0 lifetime in the postseason and has yet to give up an earned run in 19 2/3 frames.

The 24-year-old left-hander, who was 11-1 in 17 home starts during the regular season, is also 4-0 in his career against the Rays with a 3.38 ERA in seven starts.

Lester was brilliant against Tampa at Fenway back on September 8, holding the upstarts to six hits in 7 2/3 scoreless innings. He was 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA in his three starts against the Rays this season, fanning 19 batters in 20 innings.

Boston's starters are 9-0 over the last 13 post-season games. The nine-game winning streak is the longest in the postseason since Yankee starters won 10 straight in 1998-99. The last Red Sox starter to lose a playoff game was Tim Wakefield in Game 4 of the 2007 ALCS at Cleveland.

Tampa will counter with righty Matt Garza, who absorbed the Rays' lone ALDS loss to the Chicago White Sox. He gave up five runs and seven hits in six innings of that one and is now winless in his last six starts.

Garza had never previously thrown more than 100 innings in his career, and with 190 and change under his belt now, he could be running out of steam.

He is 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA in six starts against the Red Sox. However, Garza was banged around in his lone start in Boston this season, giving up seven runs (5 earned) and six hits in 5 1/3 frames to take the loss.

Tampa evened this series at a game apiece on Saturday, as Fernando Perez raced home on B.J. Upton's sacrifice fly in the 11th inning to give the Rays a dramatic 9-8 win.

Boston's Mike Timlin (0-1) walked Dioner Navarro to start the bottom of the 11th. Perez then came on as a pinch-runner and Ben Zobrist drew a walk before Jason Bartlett grounded out to third to advance both runners. Timlin then intentionally walked Akinori Iwamura before Upton lofted a fly ball to short right field. J.D. Drew made the catch, but his throw home was toward the third base line, and Perez was easily safe to end the 5-hour, 27-minute marathon.

Evan Longoria had three hits, including a homer, and drove in three runs for the Rays. Upton also homered off Red Sox starter Josh Beckett, as did Cliff Floyd.

Dustin Pedroia homered twice while Kevin Youkilis and Jason Bay belted home runs of their own for Boston, which went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base. Youkilis has now hit safely in all nine ALCS games he has played in.

The seven combined home runs tied a postseason record.

David Price (1-0), the first overall pick in last year's draft, recorded the final two outs in the top of the 11th to get the win. Another key part of the victory was a 3 1/3-inning performance on the mound by Rays closer Dan Wheeler, who allowed just one hit and had four strikeouts.

Both starting pitchers were knocked out after 4 1/3 innings, with Beckett and Tampa Bay's Scott Kazmir each surrendering a trio of homers. Beckett was tagged for eight runs on nine hits, while Kazmir was charged with five runs on six hits.

Now the series shifts to Fenway, where Boston was 56-25 this season. The Red Sox have also won 12 of their last 15 postseason games there.

While the defending world champion Red Sox are ALCS regulars, appearing in this round for the fourth time in the last six years, the Rays of course are new to the party, playing in their first-ever postseason.

These teams are obviously no stranger to one another, having played 18 times throughout the regular season. Tampa managed to win 10 of those contests, but just two of those wins came at Fenway.

Game 4 of this series will be played on Tuesday.

















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