Boston ? The Boston Red Sox already slugged the 1927 Yankees out of the record book.

Todd Walker and Trot Nixon are doing their best to knock the current version out of the playoffs.

Walker hit his franchise-record fifth homer of the postseason, and Nixon’s solo shot snapped a fifth-inning tie as the Red Sox beat New York, 3-2, Monday night to even the AL championship series at two games apiece.

Nixon was fifth in the AL with a .578 slugging percentage this season as Boston posted a team mark of .491. That broke the record of .489 set by the Murderer’s Row Yankees of ’27.

“Everybody feeds off everybody else in there,” Walker said. “No matter who we put in there, we’ve got nine guys who can hit.”

The Red Sox also led the majors with a .289 batting average and set big-league records for extra-base hits and total bases. Their 238 homers shattered the 1977 team record of 213.

But none was more important than the two they hit Monday.

Walker, who had a career-high 13 homers in the regular season, homered to right field off Mike Mussina in the fourth to break a scoreless tie. After the Yankees tied it in the top of the fifth, Nixon hit a solo homer to give Boston back the lead.

“He’s been eating his Wheaties, I guess,” Nixon said of Walker. “Todd’s not a power hitter, but you never know. Certain guys may not be power hitters, but during the playoffs they erupt. Todd’s one of those guys.”

Boston's Todd Walker, right, watches his solo home run leave the park in the fourth inning of Game 4 of the AL championship series as Yankees catcher Jorge Posada watches at left. The Red Sox beat the Yankees, 3-2, Monday in Boston, tying the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.

Until 1969, there was only one playoff round — the World Series — and a maximum seven postseason games per year, not the three rounds and 19 games there are today. Even so, Walker now owns a franchise home run record on a team that featured Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski.

“When you think of all the great hitters that have come through here, it’s such a special thing for me. And I know this isn’t over yet,” Walker said. “I’m a 6-foot, 180-pound guy dripping wet, so how can I do that? I don’t know.”

Nixon’s homer went to straightaway center field — virtually the same spot where he hit the game-winning shot in the 11th inning of Game 3 in the first-round series against Oakland. That kept the Red Sox alive, and they won three straight to eliminate the Athletics.

Nixon entered Monday just 7-for-51 lifetime against Mussina, then went 3-for-3 with a double.

Walker also hit a solo homer in Game 1 of the ALCS.

“Todd Walker’s been carrying this team so far,” first baseman Kevin Millar said.

The power surge by Walker and Nixon couldn’t have come at a better time for them personally, either.

Both might have been left out of the lineup for today’s Game 5, when David Wells is scheduled to pitch for the Yankees against Boston’s Derek Lowe. Nixon usually sits against lefties, and manager Grady Little has been using glove man Damian Jackson at second when Lowe, a sinkerballer, pitches.

Little said he changed his mind about the strategy because Walker had been hitting so well.

Walker made just eight errors with Cincinnati last year and led NL second basemen in fielding percentage and putouts.

“That whole defensive thing is overrated,” he said. “But whether I start or not, I know I have a chance to win the game.”