AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES Ortiz's blast keeps Red Sox alive

He homered off Yankees' ace Mariano Rivera in the 12th for a 6-4 win.
BOSTON (AP) -- Early in the morning, when most fans usually are tucked in bed, David Ortiz set off a frenzy at Fenway Park that gave the Boston Red Sox a shot at pulling off the biggest comeback ever.
The Red Sox were down to their last three outs of the season, close to extinction. Then Boston rallied -- against Mariano Rivera, the New York Yankees and decades of disappointment.
Bill Mueller singled home the tying run off Rivera in the ninth inning, and Ortiz homered into the right-field bullpen against Paul Quantrill in the 12th, giving Boston a 6-4 victory. With the win, the Red Sox avoided a sweep and forced a fifth game in the AL championship series.
"This," Ortiz said, "is a team that never gives up."
Red Sox fans who had been praying, holding hands and hoping against hope a few innings earlier, burst into cheers when Ortiz connected. Long after Sunday turned into Monday, there was still plenty of energy inside old Fenway Park.
Even Ortiz danced home to his teammates waiting at the plate.
"We always find a way to make it hard for ourselves," Red Sox starter Derek Lowe said.
Long game again
This game lasted 5 hours, 2 minutes and ended at 1:22 a.m., marking the second back-to-back marathon. Saturday's 19-8 win by the Yankees took 4 hours, 20 minutes.
"Everybody's going to have trouble sleeping, probably except maybe from exhaustion," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.
Of the 25 previous teams to fall behind 3-0 in a best-of-7 series, 20 were swept, three lost in five games and two lost in six. The Red Sox say if they win again, injured Curt Schilling would be ready to start Tuesday in New York.
"We've just got to get to Game 6," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.
Winnng rally
Quantrill, New York's fifth pitcher, relieved Tom Gordon to start the 12th and allowed a leadoff single to Manny Ramirez. Ortiz then joined Bernie Williams as the only player to hit two game-ending homers in postseason play, the first to do it twice in one year.
"Ortiz is just a great hitter and he beat me," Quantrill said.
Boston was facing a disappointing end to a successful season when Rivera walked Kevin Millar to lead off the ninth.
"You put the walk away, and it would have been totally different," Rivera said. "It wasn't the way I planned it."
After some pickoff throws, pinch-runner Dave Roberts stole second on the first pitch to Mueller.
"The three pickoff moves got me back into the game. I hadn't played in a while, and it helped me get rid of the jitters," Roberts said.
Game tying single
Mueller then lined the ball up the middle as Roberts easily scored and Rivera swung his right arm in disgust. He has blown just four saves in 36 postseason chances, but two have come in the past 12 days.
"We're so used to Mo going out there and getting people out," said Torre. It's just that the walk and stolen base was the difference in that ninth inning."
Doug Mientkiewicz followed with a sacrifice, and Johnny Damon hit a hopper to first that Tony Clark, playing in place of injured John Olerud, fumbled for an error. That left runners at first and third.
Orlando Cabrera struck out, the Yankees let Damon take second, and Ramirez walked, loading the bases for Ortiz, who flied to right.
With closer Keith Foulke already having pitched 22/3 innings, Alan Embree came in and got through the 10th. Curtis Leskanic escaped an 11th-inning jam by retiring Williams on a bases-loaded flyout, then stranded a runner at second in the 12th by striking out Miguel Cairo.
"Their bullpen did a great job. They made pitches when they had to," Derek Jeter said. "We definitely let opportunities get by."
NEW YORKBOSTON
abrhbiabrhbi
Jeter ss4110Damon cf5100
ARdrgz 3b5112OCbera ss6111
Shffield rf5000MRmrz lf3120
Matsui lf5120DOrtiz dh5124
BWllms cf6011Varitek c5000
Posada c4120Nixon rf5000
Sierra dh6020Millar 1b2010
TClark 1b6021DRbrts pr0100
Cairo 2b4010Reese 2b1000
Mueller 3b5121
Bllhorn 2b2000
Mntkw 1b1000
Totals454124Totals40686
New York002002000000--4
Boston000030001002--6
No outs when winning run scored.
E--TClark (1). DP--New York 1. LOB--New York 14, Boston 10. 2B--Matsui (5). 3B--Matsui (1). HR--ARodriguez (2), DOrtiz (1). SB--Damon (1), DRoberts (1). S--Jeter, Cairo, Mientkiewicz.
IPHRERBBSO
New York
OHernandez533356
Sturtze210001
MRivera221122
Gordon200011
Quantrill L,0-1022200
Boston
DLowe5 1-363303
Timlin131130
Foulke2 2-300023
Embree1 2-320010
MMyers000010
Leskanic W,1-01 1-310001
Quantrill pitched to 2 batters in the 12th, MMyers pitched to 1 batter in the 11th. WP--Timlin. Umpires--Home, Jim Joyce; First, Jeff Kellogg; Second, Joe West; Third, Randy Marsh; Left, Jeff Nelson; Right, John Hirschbeck. T--5:02. A--34,826.