Detroit, MI- Rico Petrocelli hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning, and the Boston Red Sox completed their furious comeback to win the AL East with a 5-3 win over the Tigers at Tiger Stadium.
The Red Sox (89-65) have clinched the division after trailing by as many as 9.5 games as recently as in mid-August.
The Tigers (87-68) have lost five straight, all at home, and eight of their past 10. The loss means the Tigers are 13-21 in their past 34 games, a stretch where the Red Sox went 22-11 to steal the divisional flag.
Carl Yastrzemski hit a solo homer in the seventh to put Boston up, 1-0. It was just the second Red Sox hit off Tigers starter Woodie Fryman.
In the eighth inning, the Tigers scored three runs, capped by a pinch-hit, solo home run by Ike Brown. They were three outs away from making the season finale the division-deciding game.
But Boston tied the game in the ninth on a pinch-hit, two-run homer by Rick Miller off Chris Zachary, whose season had been brilliant up to that point.
The Tigers had runners on second and third with one out in the ninth. After an intentional walk to Willie Horton, the bases were loaded. But Boston reliever Bill Lee coaxed two outs without a runner scoring.
In the tenth, Petrocelli connected for a two-run blast off loser Zachary following a walk to open the inning.
After Wednesday's season ending game, the Red Sox will travel to Oakland to face the A's in the ALCS.
BOS 89-65 --
DET 87-68 2.5
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Friday, October 11, 2013
Mon 10/2/72: Bos 5, DET 4
Detroit, MI- Doug Griffin hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, erasing a 3-2 deficit, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Tigers, 5-4, to edge one step closer to clinching the AL East title.
With the victory, the Red Sox need to win just one of the final two games of the series (and season) to clinch the division. Meanwhile, the Tigers have no more margin for error; they need to sweep the next two games to claim the East.
The Tigers had moved ahead. 3-2, in the seventh inning on an Eddie Brinkman squeeze bunt that plated Aurelio Rodriguez. But Griffin, not a power hitter, drilled a Mickey Lolich fastball over the wall in left center field with two men on base for a 5-3 Red Sox lead.
Rodriguez hit a solo homer in the ninth, but it was too little, too late.
BOS 88-65 --
DET 87-67 1.5
With the victory, the Red Sox need to win just one of the final two games of the series (and season) to clinch the division. Meanwhile, the Tigers have no more margin for error; they need to sweep the next two games to claim the East.
The Tigers had moved ahead. 3-2, in the seventh inning on an Eddie Brinkman squeeze bunt that plated Aurelio Rodriguez. But Griffin, not a power hitter, drilled a Mickey Lolich fastball over the wall in left center field with two men on base for a 5-3 Red Sox lead.
Rodriguez hit a solo homer in the ninth, but it was too little, too late.
BOS 88-65 --
DET 87-67 1.5
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Update: Down to the Wire!
Well, just as in real life, my race between the Tigers and the Red Sox is going down to the wire. In real life, the Tigers and the Red Sox entered the final series of the season in Detroit with this scenario: whichever team won at least two of the three games would win the division.
With five games to play, my Tigers lead the Red Sox by a half game (87-64 to 86-64). The Red Sox have two games in Baltimore, and the Tigers host the Milwaukee Brewers twice. Then, it's those final three games in Detroit---Red Sox vs. Tigers!
No matter what happens in Baltimore and Detroit, the last three games at Tiger Stadium will determine the AL East winner---some how, some way.
How cool for my replay to come down to the final series, just as in real life!
Note: You'll notice that in my replay, the Red Sox are 86-64, whereas in real life they were 83-67. That's because I kept track of head-to-head play in my replay and adjusted the Red Sox record accordingly. In my replay, the Red Sox have beaten the Tigers three more times than they did in real life, up to this point.
With five games to play, my Tigers lead the Red Sox by a half game (87-64 to 86-64). The Red Sox have two games in Baltimore, and the Tigers host the Milwaukee Brewers twice. Then, it's those final three games in Detroit---Red Sox vs. Tigers!
No matter what happens in Baltimore and Detroit, the last three games at Tiger Stadium will determine the AL East winner---some how, some way.
How cool for my replay to come down to the final series, just as in real life!
Note: You'll notice that in my replay, the Red Sox are 86-64, whereas in real life they were 83-67. That's because I kept track of head-to-head play in my replay and adjusted the Red Sox record accordingly. In my replay, the Red Sox have beaten the Tigers three more times than they did in real life, up to this point.
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