Rays rock Sox

The unthinkable became reality yesterday afternoon in Game 3 at Fenway Park. Superman didn’t save the day. Cats and dogs were living together in perfect harmony. Pigs were flying over the foreboding skies of Kenmore Square.

Mr. Automatic — also known as Jon Lester — faltered, surrendering a pair of titanic home runs during a four-run third inning that paved the way to a 9-1 loss to the Rays in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. The big blows against were a three-run B.J. Upton bomb over everything in left field and a solo shot by Evan Longoria that bestowed the Rays with a commanding 5-0 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

The pesky Tampa offense had actually scratched for a single run in the second inning, but the third frame is where the game truly turned.

“When you [make mistakes] to good hitters, they did exactly what they’re supposed to do with it,” said Lester. “You’ve got to tip your cap to them.

“At times I was effective with everything, but I really look back and made two big mistakes in execution,” added Lester. “Hopefully we get a chance to do it again in Game 7.”

Lester had been nearly unbeatable at Fenway, and hadn’t surrendered an earned run in his first 14 postseason innings, so the shock and awe campaigned authored by the Rays was a jaw-dropper.

Given a five-run cushion, Matt Garza was impressive and overpowering for the Rays — he was still throwing 96-mph in the seventh long after crossing the 100-pitch threshold. Garza finished with six-plus innings pitched, six hits and a run allowed in a performance that tipped the ALCS scales toward the Rays.

Boston’s only run came in the seventh when Jason Varitek scored on a Jacoby Ellsbury sacrifice fly, but the New England connection clinched it for Tampa Bay — Haverhill native Carlos Peña launched a solo homer in the ninth, and Rhode Island native Rocco Baldelli cinched the game with a three-run bomb off Paul Byrd in the eighth.