Sox avoid sweep with dramatic win

Youkilis homers in 13th inning for 5-3 victory

What the Red Sox couldn’t get done with doubles they did with the long ball.

After leading off the 10th, 11th and 12th innings with doubles and failing to score, Kevin Youkilis hit a two-run home run off of Mike Parisi in the bottom of the 13th inning to lift the Red Sox to a 5-3 victory over the Cardinals yesterday.

“I knew I hit it really well and I thought it would get out but you never know here sometimes,” Youkilis said. “You can’t beat it. I think it was even more exciting when you have a 13-inning game. You just want to get out of here. That always makes it a lot better of a home run.”

Mike Lowell led off the inning with a single off Parisi (0-3) before Youkilis hit Parisi’s 3-1 offering over the left-field wall. It was Youkilis’s second homer of the game.

“When you get in one of those games — at least when you’re playing at home — you always feel like you have the last at-bat,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “We led three innings off with doubles, start the runner on second (and) couldn’t score. Maybe that’s what it takes is somebody running the ball out of the ballpark.”

The Cardinals had a chance to take the lead in the top of the 13th off Javier Lopez (2-0), but Chris Duncan was thrown out at home plate by Red Sox right fielder J.D. Drew trying to score on Adam Kennedy’s base hit.

“He hit the ball hard enough to be able field it on a nice run,” Drew said. “I was surprised to see him going and it wound up that it was a nice hop to [catcher Jason Varitek] and he had time to duck under.”

The Red Sox had opportunities in the 10th and 11th to win the game, but came up empty on both occasions. The Cardinals also had chances in the extra frames, loading the bases with three hits off Hideki Okajima in the 11th. But Craig Hansen struck out Ryan Ludwick to end the threat.

“Just a hellacious game,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.