Led by American League Championship Series MVP Matt Garza, the Rays defeated the Red Sox, 3-1, Sunday night in Game 7 at Tropicana Field.
The Rays will meet the Phillies in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night here.
Garza, who also won Game 3 of the ALCS, allowed just two hits and one run in seven-plus innings, while striking out nine.
"I told myself from the beginning that I'm going to leave it all out there today, no matter what," Garza said. "I've gotta go hard, give my team the best chance to win, and that was for me to give everything I had.
"I didn't know if today was my last start of the year or what, so I just went out there and emptied my tank and said, 'Hey, here goes, we'll see what happens.'"
Garza's only blemish came in the first inning, when Dustin Pedroia homered with one out to put the Red Sox up, 1-0. Garza then added six zeroes to his line before leaving the game after shortstop Jason Bartlett booted Alex Cora's routine ground ball to start the eighth.
Surviving the eighth would be the key moment of the game for the Rays. Dan Wheeler took over for Garza and allowed a single to Coco Crisp before Pedroia flew out to left for the first out. J.P. Howell then entered the game and got David Ortiz to hit into a fielder's choice for the second out.
Rays manager Joe Maddon then called for Chad Bradford to pitch to Kevin Youkilis, who drew a walk to load the bases. David Price became the fifth and final Rays pitcher of the inning when the 23-year-old rookie left-hander was brought in to pitch to J.D. Drew, and he struck him out to end the inning.
In the ninth, Price issued a walk to Jason Bay, then struck out Mark Kotsay and Jason Varitek, before getting pinch-hitter Jed Lowrie to ground into a forceout to end the game.
"I felt really good about David tonight," Maddon said. "David, when you talk about him prior to the game, this young man is composed beyond his years, he really is, and I think you've all had a chance to understand that if you've even had one conversation with him.
"So it was just important to get through that murderer's row that they have there, and then eventually turn it over to him. That was my thought. And again, it was just about throwing strikes, and he's been a strike-thrower his whole life."
Jon Lester started for the Red Sox and was perfect through three innings before Akinori Iwamura singled to lead off the fourth. After Carlos Pena hit into a fielder's choice for the second out of the inning, Evan Longoria doubled down the right-field line and Pena scored from first to tie the score at 1.
Willie Aybar led off the Rays' fifth with a double to left and Dioner Navarro followed with an infield single. Rocco Baldelli then singled home Aybar to put the Rays up, 2-1.
The Red Sox tried to answer in the sixth when Pedroia walked with one out. But Garza rose to the occasion by striking out Ortiz, and Navarro threw out Pedroia attempting to steal to complete the double play.
Aybar then homered off Lester to lead off the seventh to push the Rays' lead to 3-1.
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