ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Joe Maddon summoned everybody to pitch for the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field Tuesday night. The guy who feeds the stingrays in the Rays' tank. The gyrating grounds crew guy. The security lady who was checking bags before the game and found a set of false teeth.

Any time Maddon touched either arm, even if it was just to scratch his elbow, a new pitcher entered.

Duke Knutson, the press box attendant. Dave Wills, the radio play-by-play man. Don Zimmer.

Maddon used so many pitchers, TBS ran out of commercials.

One night after giving up a walk-off homer, Koji Uehara celebrated an ALDS win with catcher David Ross. Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports

The guy who waves the pizza flag for free pies for 10 strikeouts. Dick Vitale, the Rays' No. 1 fan. Ben Zobrist's wife, the anthem singer.

Maddon used more pitchers than the Rays have fans, or so it seemed.

Rocco Baldelli, the former Ray (and Red Sox) who threw out the ceremonial first pitch, was lifted only slightly more quickly than Maddon pulled his starter, Jeremy Hellickson, yanked in the second inning of a scoreless tie. Five more pitchers proceeded to the mound by the seventh inning, and the Red Sox still hadn't scored.

Maddon managed as though there was no tomorrow -- which there isn't for his team anymore -- and Tampa Bay used nine pitchers, none for more than two innings, before succumbing 3-1 to the Red Sox, who eliminated the Rays three games to one to advance to the ALCS to face the winner of the Detroit Tigers-Oakland A's series.

"That was different," said Jake Peavy, the Sox starter who must have felt a little like Leonidas in "300," holding off the Rays single-handedly while they came at him in waves. "I've never seen anybody like Hellickson get such a quick hook. Joe Maddon is an outstanding manager, and obviously he thought that was the right move."

Red Sox manager John Farrell, meanwhile, managed as though there was no yesterday. What he insisted was absolutely clear-cut Monday -- not to use Xander Bogaerts to pinch hit for Stephen Drew against Rays left-hander Jake McGee -- made perfect sense in the seventh inning Tuesday night.