ANAHEIM, Calif — J.D. Drew looked pretty feeble as he swung and missed a pair of off-speed pitches from Francisco Rodriguez. He sure didn't miss a third one.

Drew hit a towering two-run homer off Rodriguez in the ninth inning, giving the Boston Red Sox a 7-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels Friday night and a 2-0 lead in their first-round AL playoff series.

So now, thanks to another Boston postseason victory over the Angels, the team with baseball's best record this year is on the verge of elimination.

"We've always been good about turning the page on any game during the season and not taking whatever happened in the previous game into the next one," Angels outfielder Garret Anderson said. "Obviously, you have history against you when you're down 2-0. That's how hard it is, and it's factual, but that doesn't mean it can't be done."

Tampa Bay, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia also have 2-0 first-round series leads. Of the 35 teams to fall behind 2-0 in the division series before this year, just five have come back to advance, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. And only one — the 2001 New York Yankees — came back to win after losing the first two at home.

"This was huge," Drew said. "We were in a spot: tie ballgame. They had seemingly had the momentum."

Now one win from advancing to the AL championship series, Boston won its 11th consecutive postseason game against the Angels, outscoring them 80-33 and setting the record for most postseason victories in a row over one opponent. The Red Sox won their ninth consecutive postseason game overall as well.

Boston swept the Angels in the first round in 2004 and last year, both times en route to World Series titles.

"That is so far in the past, and in about 10 minutes tonight it will be in the past," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "What happened in '04 or 1986 does not matter to us. We set out to win today's game. It was difficult, but we did it. Now, we'll go prepare for the next game."

Game 3 will be Sunday night in Boston, with Joe Saunders pitching for the Angels against Josh Beckett, who was pushed back from the opener after injuring a muscle in his side.

"There is a challenge in front of us and the only way to meet it is going to be pitch by pitch, inning by inning on Sunday," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We played well in their park all year, and we have to do it now."

Rays 6, White Sox 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays are one win away from making baseball's feel-good story of the year an even more remarkable tale.

The surprising AL East champions beat the Chicago White Sox 6-2 Friday, remaining unbeaten in their young postseason history and closing in on a spot in the American League Championship Series.

Pitching, defense and timely hitting have been the formula for success all season. Nothing's changed in building a 2-0 lead over the AL Central champion White Sox in their first-round playoff matchup.

"They're here for a reason," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. "They're here because they can pitch and they catch the ball. They will take any little thing and take advantage of their speed and they don't strike out much. When you have that combination ... you can be anything in the big leagues."

The Rays go for a sweep when the series resumes Sunday in Chicago. Tampa Bay's Matt Garza (11-9) faces John Danks (12-9), trying to seal a matchup against World Series champion Boston or the Los Angeles Angels in the next round.

"We're a relaxed bunch," Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli said. "We chill out in the clubhouse. We have fun. That's what got us here."

The White Sox saved their season by winning three straight games, including a tiebreaker that determined the Central title, to earn their postseason berth.

Now they're returning to U.S. Cellular Field, where they had third-best home record in AL behind Tampa Bay and Boston.

"We've been in this situation before, just the other day," said Chicago's Jermaine Dye, who was 4-for-5. "We know what we got to do."

It's been a bleak October for both Chicago teams, who are in the postseason together for the first time since 1906.

The Cubs lost their first two NL playoff games at home to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"We're against the wall," Guillen said. "We've got to fight like a cat, and now it's a must-win game."