MLB playoffs: David Ortiz leads Red Sox over Tampa

ALDS • Boston DH hits two home runs to help team take 2-0 series lead.
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Boston • John Lackey has watched David Ortiz wreak destruction on playoff opponents before.

He finally got a chance to see it from the same dugout.

"I like it a lot better on this side, that's for sure," Lackey said after Ortiz hit two homers to lead the Red Sox to a 7-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday and give Boston a 2-0 lead in the AL division series.

It was the first two-homer postseason game for Ortiz, who is the only player remaining from the 2004 Red Sox team that won the franchise's first World Series title in 86 years. He was also a star of the '07 team that won it all; both times, they opened the playoffs by eliminating Lackey's Los Angeles Angels.

"He's tough this time of year — any time of year," Lackey said. "He's a guy that likes bright lights, for sure."

Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits and scored three runs for the AL East champions. Dustin Pedroia drove in three runs, and Lackey earned the win in his first postseason start since joining the Red Sox as a free agent in 2010. Ortiz hit his first homer in the first inning, then his second in the eighth to chase Rays starter David Price.

"As long as we win, it means a lot," Ortiz said. "It's not over. We've got to keep on fighting."

Tampa Bay will need a victory in Game 3 on Monday in St. Petersburg, Fla., to avoid a sweep in the best-of-five series.

The Rays won three win-or-go-home games this week just to reach this round, including Price's complete game in the tiebreaker against Texas to determine the second AL wild-card team.

"I'm really looking forward to Game 5 here," said Rays manager Joe Maddon, knowing the Rays would have to win the next two to force the series to the limit. "We just went through a week of (our) backs against the wall, so it's not new to us. It's going to be difficult. ... But I don't think it's impossible by any means."

"Boston this time of the year is kind of lovely, and I'm looking forward to coming back in a few days." Red Sox 7, Rays 4

Tampa Bay AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

DeJesus lf 1 1 0 0 1 1 .000

b-S.Rodriguez ph

1 0 0 0 0 0 .250

Lobaton c 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000

W.Myers rf 5 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Loney 1b 3 0 2 2 0 1 .400

Longoria 3b 2 0 1 0 2 0 .250

Zobrist 2b 3 1 0 0 1 2 .143

De.Jennings cf 4 1 2 0 0 0 .286

D.Young dh 3 0 1 1 0 0 .333

Y.Escobar ss 4 1 2 1 0 0 .250

J.Molina c 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000

a-Joyce ph-lf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Totals 31 4 8 4 4 8

Boston AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Ellsbury cf 4 3 3 1 0 1 .556

Victorino rf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .500

Pedroia 2b 3 0 1 3 0 1 .375

D.Ortiz dh 4 2 2 2 0 1 .375

Napoli 1b 2 0 0 0 2 1 .167

J.Gomes lf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .250

Middlebrooks 3b

4 0 1 0 0 0 .286

Drew ss 4 0 1 1 0 0 .222

D.Ross c 4 1 1 0 0 1 .250

Totals 33 7 11 7 2 5

Tampa Bay 010 021 000 — 4 8 2

Boston 202 110 01x — 7 11 0

a-flied out for J.Molina in the 6th. b-grounded out for DeJesus in the 6th.

E—J.Molina (1), Zobrist (1).

LOB—Tampa Bay 7, Boston 5. 2B—Loney (1), Y.Escobar (1), Ellsbury (1), Pedroia (1), D.Ross (1). 3B—Drew (1). HR—D.Ortiz 2 (2), off Price 2. RBIs—Loney 2 (2), D.Young (1), Y.Escobar (1), Ellsbury (2), Pedroia 3 (3), D.Ortiz 2 (2), Drew (2). SB—De.Jennings (1), Ellsbury (2). SF—D.Young, Pedroia.

Runners left in scoring position—Tampa Bay 3 (J.Molina, Zobrist 2) Boston 3 (D.Ross 2, J.Gomes). RISP—Tampa Bay 2 for 8 Boston 3 for 11.

Runners moved up—W.Myers, D.Young, Drew. GIDP—Longoria, Zobrist, Y.Escobar, D.Ortiz.

DP—Tampa Bay 1 (Loney, Y.Escobar) Boston 3 (Middlebrooks, Napoli), (Pedroia, Drew, Napoli), (Pedroia, Drew, Napoli).

Tampa Bay IP H R ER BB SO ERA

Price L, 0-1 7 9 7 7 2 5 9.00

McGee 1 2 0 0 0 0 0.00

Boston IP H R ER BB SO ERA

Lacky W, 1-0 51⁄3 7 4 4 3 6 6.75

Breslow 12⁄3 0 0 0 1 0 0.00

Tazawa 1 1 0 0 0 0 0.00

Uehara S, 1-1 1 0 0 0 0 2 0.00

Price pitched to 1 batter in the 8th.

Inherited runners-scored—Breslow 1-0. HBP—by Lackey (DeJesus), by Breslow (Loney).

Umpires—Home, Eric Cooper First, Dana DeMuth Second, Paul Emmel Third, Mike Winters Right, Chris Guccione Left, Larry Vanover.

T—3:14. A—38,705 (37,071)