CJReport

Finally it feels like Fenway again.

After falling behind 3 games to 1 in the ALCS, the Boston Red Sox came back from a 7-run deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-7 Thursday night. Just seven outs away from failure, the defending world series champions finally scored on a Dustin Pedroia RBI single to right and then a 3-run homerun by David Ortiz .

The eighth inning brought no relief to the red-hot Rays. A J.D. Drew (2-4, 3 RBI) homer and Coco Crisp's RBI single tied the score at 7-7. Tampa Bay's typically tough bullpen of Grant Balfour (4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR in 0.2 IP), Dan Wheeler (3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR in 1.1 IP), and J.P. Howell (2 H, 1R, 1 ER in 0.2 IP) cracked under pressure, blowing the win for starter Scott Kazmir (2 H, 2 K in 6 IP).

Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka (5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 K, 3 HR in 4 IP) struggled early, giving up a 2-run homerun to B.J. Upton in the first inning. The third inning was not much better for Dice-K who gave up a 2-run homerun to Haverhill's Carlos Pena and Rookie of the Year candidate Evan Longoria. The Rays scored their final two runs in the top of the 7th on a B.J. Upton RBI double off Jonathan Papelbon.

Sox Manager Terry Francona brought in Papelbon in the 7th in an effort to stifle the Rays offensive attack. Though Pap struggled in the 7th, he was lights out in the 8th. Boston reliever Justin Masterson finished up the 9th for the Sox.

The 7-run deficit was the largest deficit overcome in the post season since Game 4 of the 1929 World Series, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The Red Sox are not new to being down in an ALCS series In 2004, the Boston nine came back from 3-0 in the series to beat the New York Yankees. The team then went on to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. The campaign to the 2007 World Series championship featured much of the same. Tito's team defeated the Cleveland Indians after trailing 3-1 in the series. They then went on to sweep the Colorado Rockies in the World Series.

Look for more ALCS action Saturday night when the Sox travel to Tropicana Field. The winner of the series will play the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series on Wednesday.