By Chito Ebriega (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Oct 09, 2013 06:34 PM EDT
Tags Boston Red Sox World Series, MLB Postseason, Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino, mlb playoffs, mlb playoffs 2013, mlb playoffs scores, Boston Red Sox, boston red sox schedule, boston red sox 2013, boston red sox news, American League Division Series, American League Division Series 2013, american league championship series

The Boston Red Sox successfully advanced to the American League Championship series for the first time since 2008 on Wednesday.

But unlike the overwhelming big bats they had in previous postseason campaigns, the Red Sox leaned on their speedy and gritty unit led by Shane Victorino, who signed a three-year, $39 million deal with Boston last winter. Proved he's worth his price tag, Victorino's grit and hustle helped the Red Sox get by the resilient Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 in Game 4 of their American League Division Series.

Even Rays manager Joe Maddon was impressed with the intensity the Red Sox batting unit showed throughout the four-game series, believing the team has really toughened their mettle for the postseason grind.

"You could see their grit," Maddon told CBS Sports.com on Wednesday. "I think they've really promoted the character within that group, and they're just gamers."

Red Sox starting hurler Jake Peavy had nothing but praise in describing Victorinos' play, calling him the hardest working teammate he ever had.

"I didn't appreciate Victorino (as an opponent). He plays the game as hard as anyone I've ever played with. Shane Victorino is a winner," said Peavy, who allowed a run in 5 2/3 innings.

Many baseball analysts are raving about the Red Sox slugging unit not only for its firepower, but its ability to score runs from scrappy plays and pure hustle. The Red Sox ranked first in the league in runs (853), on base percentage (.349) and slugging percentage (.446) while placing second in batting average (.277) throughout the 162-game schedule. However, this current Red Sox team beats opponents in different ways, which makes them a very potent offensive ballclub to take on this postseason.

With their place in the ALCS already booked, the Red Sox are now headed to an offensive slugfest with the winner of the other Division Series showdown between the Oakland Athletics and the Detroit Tigers - both ranked in the upper echelon of offensively efficient teams in baseball.

To spice up the Red Sox's celebration, here are few of the best online reactions found on Twitter.

© 2015 Latinos Post. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.