The Red Sox’ David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis rejoice after scoring on Jason Bay’s double in the first inning last night.

The Providence Journal / Glenn Osmundson

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It’s definitely October.

But as far as the Tampa Bay Rays are concerned, it might as well be June.

The Rays specialized in the walkoff victory this season — they led the majors with 11 — and they came up with another one last night. They pushed across the game-winning run in the bottom of the 11th and defeated the Boston Red Sox, 9-8, tying the American League Championship Series at one game each.

After Mike Timlin, the seventh Boston pitcher of the night, had walked the bases loaded, B.J. Upton delivered the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly to right.

The Red Sox and the Rays put on an offensive barrage in an all-out . There were seven lead changes as momentum swung back and forth. The intensity of the 34,904 fans in attendance rose and fell in mind-numbing fashion.

Both clubs’ starting pitchers — the Sox’ Josh Beckett and the Rays’ Scott Kazmir — couldn’t keep the ball in the park and eventually had to ask their respective bullpens to try to clean up the mess.

The offensive onslaught from both clubs was very impressive.

The teams combined for seven home runs to set a new ALCS record. Dustin Pedroia hit a pair of solo homers as teammates Kevin Youkilis and Jason Bay contributed one each for Boston. The Rays also knocked the ball around as Evan Longoria, B.J. Upton and Cliff Floyd posted the roundtrippers for Tampa.

October baseball is unquestionably here.

In order to be successful against the lefty Kazmir, the Red Sox had to get to him early and they did just that.

Boston gained a 2-0 advantage in the top of the first inning when Jason Bay connected on a two-run double. Tampa responded in the home-half when Longoria belted a two-run homer off Beckett to knot the game at 2-2.

Both starters settled down in the second as Kazmir retired the side in order, and Beckett allowed only one hit.

Pedroia lifted his first of two solo homers in the top of the third inning to give Boston a 3-2 lead, before Upton smoked his solo shot and Carl Crawford added a RBI single as Tampa regained the advantage, 4-3.

The Sox went down quietly in the fourth before Floyd crushed a solo homer off Beckett to start the bottom of the inning as the Rays gained a 5-3 lead. But Boston wouldn’t go quietly.

Pedroia led off the fifth with his second homer of the game. With one out, Youkilis and Bay connected on back-to-back solos as the Sox regained the lead, 6-5. Beckett was obviously struggling, but Terry Francona sent the right-hander back out for the bottom of the fifth and the Rays scored three more times for an 8-6 lead.

Pedroia once again gave the Red Sox a spark with a one-out walk in the top of the sixth inning. David Ortiz followed and struck out looking before Youkilis ripped his third hit of the game, a hard liner to left-center field. Bay followed and provided a single for his fourth RBI of the game to cut the deficit to a run, 8-7.

Pedroia attempted to get something going in the top of the eighth inning.

He led off with a single, reached second when Ortiz drew a walk before the Rays made a pitching change and brought in Warwick native Dan Wheeler to stop the threat. At first it appeared the right-hander would stop the bleeding when he got Youkilis to hit into a 6-4-3 double play.

With two outs, and the Red Sox trailing by a run, Pedroia stood 90 feet away.

Wheeler threw a 2-0 wild pitch over the head of catcher Dioner Navarro. Pedroia broke for the plate as the ball ricocheted off the padding behind home plate and came right to Navarro. He fielded it cleanly, but made a poor throw. Wheeler couldn’t hold on as Pedroia slide safely in to tie the game at 8-8.

Now the series shifts back to Fenway Park for Game Three tomorrow afternoon.

The atmosphere at the Trop in the first two games of this series was electric. But the Red Sox realize once they get home to Fenway, it’s going to be an entirely different ballgame – literally.

Yes. It is October. And judging by the two games here, it’s only going to get better.

jmcdonal@projo.com