Sports | Tampa Bay Rays Rays KO Sox, Head to Series By Marie Morris Posted Oct 19, 2008 11:12 PM CDT Copied Boston's Kevin Youkilis, right, and his Red Sox teammates watch the ninth inning of the Rays' 3-1 victory in Game 7 of the ALCS in St. Petersburg, Fla., Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Tim Donnelly) The worst-to-first Tampa Bay Rays completed a stunning run to their first World Series, holding off the defending champion Boston Red Sox, 3-1, last night behind Matt Garza's masterful pitching in Game 7 of the ALCS. "It's unbelievable," center fielder BJ Upton said. "We battled a lot of adversity this year. We stuck together as a team." Baseball's doormat since starting play in 1998, the Rays were a 200-1 shot to win the World Series before the season started. They nearly let it slip away when they blew a seven-run lead late in Game 5 and lost meekly Saturday night. Now, they'll host the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 Wednesday night. Garza was named ALCS MVP. Read These Next Mom of Karoline Leavitt's nephew has a message for her. Gunman kills at least 2 at Brown University. Peggy Noonan: Kirk assassination starting to look 'epochal.' Supernova will be visible in daytime after star eats its neighbor. Report an error