Sox poised for another fairy tale in Papi’s last year

ST. PETERSBURG — The Red Sox, fired up by the momentum of a late-season 11-game winning streak, will invade the Evil Empire’s Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night, poised to clinch their first American League East title since 2013. 

With visions of making 2016 another last-to-first chapter in their rich history, a fourth World Series championship in the past 13 seasons is the ultimate goal.

Nothing would be more fitting than to start that trek by winning the division title on the sacred turf at Yankee Stadium, where the Red Sox have won — and lost — so many crucial battles. The champagne would have a special taste.

In 2013, after coming in last the previous season, the Red Sox defeated the Cardinals to win baseball’s top prize.

Deja vu?

With a marvelous mix of veteran leadership and youthful zeal, the Red Sox have rebounded from back-to-back last-place finishes to become the hottest team in the AL this September. They’ve already clinched a playoff berth.

And this will be weighing heavily on the minds of the Yankees. Included in Boston’s 11-game winning streak was its first four-game sweep of the Yanks at Fenway Park since 1990.

With Red Sox Nation fans outnumbering and outcheering the hometown Tampa Bay Rays faithful, Boston sent the AL’s last-place team reeling, sweeping the three-game series over the weekend.

On a weekend when every swing, every appearance by the retiring and beloved David Ortiz was cheered, the Red Sox gave the Rays lessons on why winners win. Sunday’s dramatic 3-2, 10-inning win was a fitting example.

The Rays struck out in 11 consecutive plate appearances and made 16 consecutive outs via strikeouts. Red Sox pitchers set a club record with 23 K’s.

With the game tied at 2 with one out in the 10th and Dustin Pedroia on first, Ortiz sent a booming double to right-center. Pedroia, who’d homered in the third, raced around the bases as a relay throw to the plate beat him by 15 feet.

The All-Star second baseman made three amazing moves toward the plate as catcher Luke Maile took the throw to the right side and lunged toward the runner. Pedroia finally tried to swing all his momentum back to the plate, …

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