A year after finishing last in their division, the Boston Red Sox are headed back to the American League Championship Series.
The Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Tuesday night to win the divisional series 3 games to 1. After tying for the best record in baseball during the regular season, Boston opened the playoffs by jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the best of five series, then held off a comeback by a resilient Rays team.
In the ALCS — their first in five years — the Red Sox will face either the Oakland Athletics or Detroit Tigers, who will square off in a decisive game 5 in their divisional series in Oakland on Thursday.
[AP]