Upton pulls Tampa Bay even

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- It took Gary DiSarcina one series in Tropicana Field during Tampa Bay’s inaugural season in 1998 to coin perhaps the best description for games played in the catwalk-ringed, bandbox of a domed stadium.

“It’s arena baseball,” the former Angels shortstop said.

The Boston Red Sox and Rays provided the latest reminder of how zany indoor baseball here can be, turning Game 2 of the American League Championship Series into a home run derby Saturday night.

The teams combined for an ALCS-record seven home runs, but it was B.J. Upton’s sacrifice fly in the 11th inning that gave Tampa Bay a 9-8 victory, ending a 5-hour 27-minute marathon and tying the best-of-seven series at one game apiece.

“That was physically and mentally exhausting,” said third baseman Evan Longoria, who hit a home run, two doubles and drove in three runs. “We had to do everything we could to avoid going to Boston down, 0-2.”

Catcher Dioner Navarro started the winning rally with a walk against reliever Mike Timlin. Ben Zobrist walked to advance pinch-runner Fernando Perez to second base.

Jason Bartlett, with the runners moving on a 1-and-2 pitch, grounded out to third base, advancing the runners, and Akinori Iwamura was walked intentionally to load the bases.

Upton, with the infield in, flied to shallow right field, and Perez raced home ahead of J.D. Drew’s throw, sliding in at 1:35 a.m. EDT as the Rays poured out of their dugout to celebrate a wild win.

How fast is the little-known Perez, a 25-year-old who played in only 23 big league games this season?

“In a straight-up race,” Tampa Bay Manager Joe Maddon said, “I’ve got him over Seabiscuit.”

Perez’s sprint made a winner of rookie left-hander David Price, who got the final two outs of the 11th inning, but it was closer Dan Wheeler who did the heavy lifting, throwing 47 pitches in 3 1/3 scoreless innings before yielding to Price.

“What he did tonight was truly spectacular,” Maddon said. “To win a game like that under these circumstances after [losing Game 1] is very special. Obviously, this puts us in much better shape going to Fenway Park.”

Wheeler’s only mistake was an eighth-inning wild pitch that allowed the Red Sox to tie the score, 8-8. He entered with two on and none out and was one out away from escaping the jam after inducing Kevin Youkilis to bounce into a double play.

Up stepped the streaking Jason Bay, who had a two-run double, a solo home run and a run-scoring single, and it appeared Wheeler was pitching around Bay when he started him with two nasty sliders out of the strike zone.

But instead of conceding the at-bat and issuing an intentional walk, Wheeler tried to get Bay to chase a high fastball.

It was Navarro who did the chasing. The pitch sailed past the catcher and to the backstop, enabling Dustin Pedroia to score from third base to make it 8-8.

Wheeler and Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon each threw scoreless ninth innings to send the game, which was already 4:33 old, into extra innings.

Longoria, the rookie who is two years removed from his standout junior year at Long Beach State, broke out of his playoff slump in a huge way, hitting a two-run home run in the first inning and doubling and scoring in the third.

Longoria, who was one for 16 with eight strikeouts since his two-home run game in the division series opener against the Chicago White Sox, ended 6-6 tie with a double in the fifth and scored on Crawford’s single for an 8-6 lead.

“It’s all about the moment, performing when it matters,” Longoria said. “Sometimes, there’s no tomorrow. We were playing for our playoff life. You have to produce when the pressure and spotlight are on you.”

Bay and Pedroia were the offensive stars for the Red Sox, Pedroia ending a two-for-21 playoff slump with two home runs and three runs.

Boston took a 6-5 lead in the fifth inning when Pedroia, Youkilis and Bay each hit home runs, but the Rays rallied for three in the bottom half, Pena hitting a run-scoring single, Longoria a run-scoring double to put Tampa Bay ahead and Crawford a single for an insurance run.

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com