Boston catcher Jason Varitek, right, watches as Tampa Bay's Rocco Baldelli, rear center, is congratulated by teammates Fernando Perez, left, and Dioner Navarro after his three-run home run in the eighth inning in Game 3 of the American League championship series Monday. The Rays took a 2-1 series lead with a 9-1 pounding of the Red Sox.

BOSTON — The young Rays aimed for the old Green Monster and made their own history in legendary Fenway Park.

Tampa Bay's four home runs over the iconic left-field wall tied an AL championship series single game record and powered a 9-1 win Monday that gave the Rays a 2-1 lead over the Red Sox in the best-of-seven matchup.

Clearing the 37-foot high fence like former Boston sluggers Ted Williams and Manny Ramirez, left fielders who played in front of it, Tampa Bay scored eight of its nine runs on homers. Boston's only run came home on a sacrifice fly by Jacoby Ellsbury.

"Solo home runs are good," B.J. Upton said, "but three-run homers mean so much more."

The Rays hit two of those, by Upton in the third inning off an unusually shaky Jon Lester, and by Rocco Baldelli in the eighth against Paul Byrd. Add that to solo homers by Evan Longoria in the four-run third and Carlos Pena in the ninth, and Tampa Bay won the first blowout of the ALCS after two tight games.

Winners of the AL East this year after posting losing records in their other 10 seasons, the Rays are two wins away from eliminating the defending champions, who won two of the last four World Series.

"We don't want to be the team that waits for later. We want to win now," said winning pitcher Matt Garza, who allowed one run in six-plus innings. "After June and we were sitting in first place, we were like, this thing works. Let's keep doing it."

Tonight, Boston tries to even the series behind 42-year-old knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. He'll face Andy Sonnanstine, who was 6 when Wakefield turned pro in 1989.

It will be the first start in 16 days for Wakefield, who hasn't pitched in any of Boston's six postseason games.

"I really don't have a concern" about the layoff, he said. "I feel like I'm ready to go."

Only seven AL pitchers allowed more than Wakefield's 25 homers and he lost his two decisions against the Rays after entering the season at 19-3 against them.

Upton, just 24, has five postseason homers after hitting nine in the regular season. Longoria, who turned 23 the day after the Rays won their first-round series over the Chicago White Sox, tied the record for most homers by a rookie in a single postseason of four set by Miguel Cabrera with Florida in 2003.

The Red Sox have overcome bigger deficits. They won last year's World Series after trailing Cleveland 3-1 in the ALCS. And they won the championship in 2004 after losing the first three games of the ALCS to the New York Yankees.