Boston Red Sox's Jacoby Ellsbury celebrates after scoring on a hit by Shane Victorino in the baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Florida on Tuesday. Photo: IC

On Tuesday the Boston Red Sox showed their resourcefulness in beating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 to ­advance to the American League Championship ­Series (ALCS).

The Red Sox claimed the best-of-five American League Division Series 3-1 and will host either ­Oakland or Detroit in a best-of-seven set, scheduled to start ­Saturday in Boston, for the right to represent the American League in the World Series.

The A's and Tigers are tied 2-2 in their series with the deciding game five to be played in ­Oakland on Thursday.

Boston squandered solid scoring chances early, including a ­bases loaded, no-out opportunity in the ­second inning, but despite not hitting up to par overcame a 1-0 deficit late in the game against a merry-go-round of Rays pitchers.

The Red Sox scored two runs in the seventh on a wild pitch by reliever Joel Peralta and an infield single by Shane Victorino, before adding an insurance marker in the ninth after closer Fernando Rodney walked two, threw a wild pitch and hit a batter to set the stage for a sacrifice fly by Dustin Pedroia.

Tampa Bay, desperate to avoid elimination, used nine pitchers in tying the postseason record. Although they ­yielded just six hits they combined to issue eight walks and twice hit Victo­rino with pitches.

Boston closer Koji Uehara bounced back from a rare failure on Monday, when he served up a game-ending home run to Jose Lobaton, by registering a four-out save, striking out Rays slugger Evan Longoria to end it.

The Red Sox revised their roster and changed managers after a dismal 69-93 last-place showing in 2012 and this season tied for the best record in the majors at 97-65.

It was an "all hands on deck" approach by Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon, who removed starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson in the second inning after he loaded the bases with none out.

In came reliever Jamey Wright, who wriggled out of the jam by striking out Jared Saltalamacchia and getting a double play off a line drive by Stephen Drew hit at first baseman James Loney.

After the early missed opportunities for Boston, the Rays were first to get on the scoreboard.

Yunel Escobar led off the sixth against Boston starter Jake Peavy with a double high off the fence in left and scored on a single to right by David DeJesus.

But Boston kept scrapping and got a spark when manager John Farrell played a hunch and pinch-hit 21-year-old rookie Xander Bogaerts of Curacao for Drew in the seventh against lefty Jake McGee.

Bogaerts drew a walk and with two outs red-hot Jacoby Ellsbury improved his series batting average to 0.5 with a single, moving Bogaerts to third and in came reliever Joel Peralta.

With Ellsbury running on a stolen base try, Peralta bounced a change-up to Victorino that skipped by catcher ­Lobaton.

Bogaerts scored and Ellsbury went all the way to third, from where he scored on a little dribbler to short that Victo­rino beat out for an infield hit.

"Thankfully, we pinch hit with ­Bogaerts, a kid with ice in his veins, draws a walk and we broke through," said Farrell.

Reuters - Global Times