NIGHTMARE

Rays hammer Sox, take 3-1 series lead

The Sox went into last night’s Game 4 of the American League Championship Series feeling as if the game was must-win.

So much for that.

Tim Wakefield followed the script from defeats in both Game 2 and Game 3, and was simply overwhelmed by the quick-strike Rays offense in an eventual 13-4 massacre at the Fens.

When the hit parade ceased against Wakefield and his flat knuckler — a predictable outcome given that it was Wakefield’s first start since the regular season finale on Sept. 28 — the team was down 5-0, and the ALCS gauntlet had been thrown down.

With their backs against the wall and Daisuke Matsuzaka slated to start in Game 5 tomorrow night, the Sox need a win to send the series back to Tampa this weekend.

The Rays scored early and often. With B.J. Upton on base, Carlos Peña hammered an opposite field homer to left that immediately gave the Rays a 2-0 lead in the first frame. Evan Longoria followed with a solo shot high over the Green Monster seats that pushed the Rays out to an early 3-0 lead.

Wake managed to navigate through the second inning unscathed, but the Rays had more sting in the third frame. Willie Aybar hammered a Wakefield knuckleball for a two-run homer, and Wake was yanked one batter later. Wakefield carried a 5-6 record and a 6.36 ERA into the postseason heading into last night’s train wreck of an outing, and might have made his last Sox playoff start ever.

Boston seemed to have a short last gasp when Kevin Cash launched a solo home run in the bottom of the third, but the Tampa offense ripped apart a Boston bullpen that had previously been solid during the postseason.

Tampa starter Andy Sonnanstine continued his dominance against the Sox this year with pedestrian-looking stuff, but a keen idea of how to pitch. Sonnanstine didn’t surrender an earned run in 13 innings during the regular season against Boston, and finished with four runs allowed in 7 1/3 innings of quality work.

The Sox scored three runs late in the game and showed some offensive life, but they’ll need a lot more to keep their flickering playoff hopes alive.