BOSTON, Massachusetts (AFP) - BJ Upton's three-run homer sparked Tampa Bay to a 9-1 triumph over Boston on Monday as the Rays took the lead over the World Series champion Red Sox in the American League Championship Series.

Evan Longoria added a solo homer, Rocco Baldelli chipped in a three-run blast and Matt Garza pitched six-plus solid innings for the Rays, who took a two-games-to-one lead in the best-of-seven series.

Two days after they crushed postseason stalwart Josh Beckett in game two, Tampa Bay teed off Monday on lefthander Jon Lester.

Lester cruised through the first inning on four pitches and allowed an unearned run in the second before coming unstuck in the third.

Jason Bartlett led off with a single, and Akinori Iwamura doubled him over to third before Upton arrived at the plate.

Upton belted a 2-1 offering from Lester over the "Green Monster" left field wall and indeed over the seats and completely out of the park.

It was the second homer of the series and fifth of the postseason for Upton, who managed only nine home runs in the regular season.

"I am just staying up in the middle of the field, and it so happens I have put good swings on a couple of balls," the centerfielder said.

Upton's homer gave the Rays a 4-0 lead, but they weren't done for the frame.

After Carlos Pena struck out swinging, Longoria worked a 2-2 count and sent a blast deep into the left field seats for a 5-0 advantage.

It was the fourth postseason homer for Longoria, who equalled the rookie record set by Miguel Cabrera in 2003.

The homers accounted for the first earned runs off Lester in 16 innings this postseason and snapped a string of 24 1/3 innings in the playoffs without an earned run allowed. That stretched dated to the 2007 American League Championship Series against Cleveland.

Righthander Garza, in contrast, challenged Boston's hitters with a hard fastball and sharp curve.

He was flawless through six innings before walking Jason Varitek and allowing a single to Alex Cora in the seventh.

Lefthander JP Howell allowed an inherited runner to score on Jacoby Ellsbury's sacrifice fly, rounding out Garza's line at one run and six hits allowed.

Garza walked three and struck out five, and broke Boston's spirit by stranding at least one runner in every inning.

Garza mentioned before his start how much publicity Lester has gotten, but afterward he insisted that he did not feel slighted.

"I never took it as a personal challenge," Garza said. "My job wasn't to pitch against Lester. It was to face nine hitters in that lineup."

David Ortiz had another difficult night for Boston. The slugger 0-for-4 and has now gone 54 postseason at-bats without a home run. Ortiz, Ellsbury and Kevin Youkilis combined to go 0-for-11.

Baldelli hit a three-run home run in the eighth, and Pena padded Tampa Bay's total in the ninth with a solo shot off Paul Byrd.

By then, the Rays' display had accomplished the rare feat of sending fans home early from Fenway Park.

"You don't normally see the fans head to the seats until the last out is made," Longoria noted.

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