[Baseball] Rays to Take on Red Sox for AL Championship

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays this season shocked many baseball fans by advancing to the American League Championship Series, despite having been picked as the weakest team in the AL East after finishing with the worst record in the majors last year.

Propelled by B.J. Upton’s two home runs and Andy Sonnanstine’s powerful pitching (two earned runs in five and 2/3 innings), the Rays beat the Chicago White Sox, 6-2, to win the series 3-1 in Chicago Monday.

The Rays will face the defending world champions Boston Red Sox, who downed the Los Angeles Angels three games to one. The Angels had posted the best record in the majors in the regular season.

Tied 2-2, Jed Lowrie hit a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth to give Boston a 3-2 victory.

Founded in 1998, the Rays had remained a perennial cellar dweller in their division except in 2004. This year, however, the team advanced to the postseason with a record of 97-65 as a wild card qualifier.

The defending World Series champion Red Sox have won seven titles.

All division series were wrapped up Monday. In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who beat the Chicago Cubs, will face the Philadelphia Phillies, who sank the Milwaukee Brewers, in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series.

wing@donga.com