Experience has been replaced by fearlessness.
The transformation could become complete Thursday night, as Tampa Bay moved to within one victory of its first World Series berth in its 11-year franchise with a 13-4 thrashing of the Red Sox.
Carl Crawford tied an American League Championship Series record with five hits Tuesday night and Willy Aybar drove in five runs to support the effective pitching of Andy Sonnanstine, who pitched seven solid innings before fading in the eighth.
The only factor that could slow the Rays is Wednesday’s day off, which will give the Red Sox plenty of time to assess whether they can overcome an overwhelming deficit for the third time in the five postseasons.
At first glance, it seems doubtful. The Rays have tagged the Red Sox’s starting pitchers for 17 earned runs on 23 hits in 12 2/3 innings en route to taking a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Even a lineup shake up failed to ignite a Boston offense at suddenly quiet Fenway Park.
Their only significant power Tuesday night came in the third on a home run from backup catcher Kevin Cash, who was starting in place of struggling switch-hitter Jason Varitek, who is 0-for-10 in the ALCS and 3-for-24 in the postseason.
And designated hitter David Ortiz extended his hitless streak to 14 consecutive at-bats before hitting a triple off the base of the right-field fence in the seventh with the Red Sox trailing by 10 runs.
Meanwhile, the Rays’ offense remains relentless — top to bottom. They jumped on 42-year-old knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who was starting for the first time in 16 days, for three runs in the first inning and knocked him out by the third inning.
They did it with a blend of power and speed. B.J. Upton walked and stole second base before Carlos Pena hit a two-run homer in the first. Evan Longoria followed with a towering home run down the left-field line to set a postseason rookie record with his fifth homer, surpassing Miguel Cabrera’s mark of four for Florida in 2003.
In the third, Crawford collected his second hit — on which Wakefield stumbled after fielding — and stole second base.
That set up Aybar’s two-run homer that extended the lead to 5-0. Reliever Justin Masterson, who started to warm up after the fifth batter of the game, finally came in for Wakefield after Dioner Navarro followed Aybar’s homer with a single.
Wakefield was 0-3 with an 8.10 ERA in his last five starts entering Tuesday’s game, including a 10-3 loss at Tropicana Field on Sept. 17 in which he lasted only 2 1/3 innings and surrendered home runs to Aybar, Gabe Gross and Fernando Perez.
This matched the shortest start by a Boston starter in postseason play since Bronson Arroyo pitched 2 2/3 innings in Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS against the New York Yankees.
The Red Sox went on to win their next four games to cap one of the most stunning comebacks in sports history, and they overcame a 3-1 deficit to Cleveland in the 2007 ALCS to advance to the World Series.
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mgonzales@tribune.com
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