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BOSTON -- Bleary eyed and beaten, the Boston Red Sox returned home after an emotionally and physically draining 9-8 late-night loss to the Tampa Bay Rays to a brilliant autumn Sunday, the weather clear and crisp, the leaves all over New England bursting out in color.

Inside Fenway Park, the scene was not as soothing, the Red Sox coming out of an 11-inning, 5-hour, 27-minute marathon looking far worse for the wear, whether they would admit it or not.

The best-of-seven American League Championship Series is tied, 1-1, and Boston's best pitcher, left-hander Jon Lester, will start Game 3 today against Rays right-hander Matt Garza.

That's the good news in Red Sox Nation. Lester, 24, did not allow an earned run or a leadoff batter to reach base in 14 division series innings against the Los Angeles Angels, and he is 4-0 with a 3.38 ERA in seven career starts against Tampa Bay.

But the big picture looks murky for the defending World Series champions. After Lester, the Red Sox will throw Tim Wakefield, the always game but rarely predictable knuckleball specialist, in Game 4, and the effective but often erratic Daisuke Matsuzaka in Game 5.

And if the series goes to Game 6, Boston will turn again to Josh Beckett, the 2007 post-season ace who seems to be in denial about a rib-cage strain that is clearly bothering the veteran right-hander.

Beckett, who won all four of his playoff starts last season and entered this October with a 6-2 record and 1.73 ERA in 10 career post-season games, was rocked for eight runs and nine hits, including three home runs, in 41/3 innings Saturday night.

He has allowed 12 earned runs and 18 hits in 91/3 playoff innings against the Angels and Rays.

"I feel fine," Beckett insisted before Sunday's optional workout. "Do you guys know something I don't know?"

No, but reporters suspect Beckett is hurt and won't admit it, which wouldn't be a news flash. Few pitchers, especially this time of year, acknowledge aches and pains because they don't want to use injuries as an excuse or look weak in the eyes of their teammates.

But Red Sox Manager Terry Francona, out of loyalty or trust, may have stuck with Beckett too long, and the Red Sox paid for it -- three times, Beckett lost leads.

"I thought he was inconsistent, especially out of the stretch," Francona said. "In the windup there was a little more finish to his fastball, but out of the stretch, he's fighting some inconsistencies on what pitches he can throw in a key spot and not get hurt.

"You could see him thinking it through and kind of grinding through it a little bit. ... But he feels pretty good physically."

Beckett's fastball, normally in the 95-mph range, has dipped to 92 mph, and his breaking ball hasn't looked as sharp.

Asked if he had his full arsenal of pitches Saturday night, Beckett said, "I don't think you can say you have your full arsenal when you give up eight runs."

But Beckett insisted it was pitch selection and execution -- not his rib cage -- that hurt him.

"It's really frustrating for the team to score eight runs and to not hold any of the three leads they gave me," Beckett said. "I left too many balls over the plate. The home runs weren't good pitches."

The Red Sox hit four home runs in the game, two by second baseman Dustin Pedroia, the teams setting an ALCS record with a combined seven blasts.

But a game that featured seven home runs, 14 pitchers, 17 runs, 24 hits, 19 strikeouts, 14 walks and 433 pitches was decided by a fly ball that traveled about 200 feet.

"It was long, but I'm sure it was a whole heck of a lot longer for the Red Sox," Rays third baseman Evan Longoria said.

Saturday's game

BOSTON TAMPA BAY

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Ellsbry rf 6 0 0 0 Iwmra 2b 5 0 1 0

Cash c 0 0 0 0 Upton cf 4 2 1 2

Pedroia 2b 5 4 3 2 CPena 1b 5 2 2 1

Ortiz dh 3 1 0 0 Lngoria 3b 5 3 3 3

Yukilis 3b 6 2 3 1 Crwfrd lf 5 0 2 2

Bay lf 5 1 3 4 CFloyd dh 2 1 1 1

Lowrie ss 3 0 0 0 WAybr dh 3 0 0 0

Varitek c 3 0 0 0 Nvarro c 4 0 1 0

JDrew rf 1 0 0 0 Perez pr 0 1 0 0

Kotsay 1b 6 0 0 0 Gross rf 3 0 0 0

Crisp cf 6 0 3 0 Zobrist rf 1 0 0 0

Bartlett ss 5 0 1 0

Totals 44 8 12 7 Totals 42 9 12 9

Boston 201 031 010 00 -- 8

Tampa Bay 202 130 000 01 -- 9

Two outs when winning run scored.

DP--Tampa Bay 1. LOB--Boston 13, Tampa Bay 6. 2B--Bay (1), Crisp 2 (2), CPena (1), Longoria 2 (2). HR--Pedroia 2 (2), Youkilis (1), Bay (1), Upton (1), Longoria (1), CFloyd (1). SB--Upton (1). SF--Upton.

Boston ip h r er bb so

Beckett 41/3 9 8 8 1 5

JLopez 0 1 0 0 0 0

Delcarmen 12/3 1 0 0 0 1

Okajima 2 0 0 0 0 1

Masterson 2/3 1 0 0 0 1

Papelbon 11/3 0 0 0 0 1

Timlin L,0-1 2/3 0 1 1 3 0

Tampa Bay ip h r er bb so

Kazmir 41/3 6 5 5 3 2

Balfour 0 1 1 1 2 0

Howell 11/3 0 1 1 1 2

Bradford 11/3 4 1 1 0 1

TMiller 0 0 0 0 1 0

Wheeler 31/3 1 0 0 2 4

Price W,1-0 2/3 0 0 0 1 1

JLopez pitched to 1 batter in the 5th, Balfour pitched to 3 batters in the 5th, Bradford pitched to 1 batter in the 8th, TMiller pitched to 1 batter in the 8th.

WP--Wheeler.

Umpires--Home, Sam Holbrook First, Brian O'Nora Second, Brian Gorman Third, Alfonso Marquez Left, Derryl Cousins Right, Tim McClelland.

T--5:27. A--34,904 (36,048).