Red Sox Walk-Off Against Tigers to Even Series 1-1
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Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images(BOSTON) — David Ortiz tied the game in the eighth inning with a grand slam and Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a walk-off single in the ninth, as the Boston Red Sox rallied and beat the Detroit Tigers 6-5 in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series Sunday night.
The best-of-seven series is now tied 1-1.
The Tigers dominated most of the game. Detroit starter Max Scherzer had a no-hitter going into the sixth inning before Shane Victorino roped a single to left.
In the top of the sixth, the Tigers scored four runs, three coming off home runs by Miguel Cabrera and Alex Avila.
Scherzer left the game with a 5-1 lead after pitching seven innings, allowing two hits, one run, and two walks while striking out 13.
But just as the Patriots did earlier in the night, Sunday belonged to Boston.
With the bases loaded, two outs and a four-run lead in the eighth inning, Detroit skipper Jim Leyland brought in Joaquin Benoit to face David Ortiz.
The decision didn’t pay off as Ortiz smacked the first pitch he saw into the Boston bullpen to tie the game at 5.
“They been starting up pretty much everybody with off-spead pitches,” Ortiz said when describing his at-bat against Benoit. “I knew Benoit had a good split-finger and I just went out there looking for something I could hit.”
Koji Uehara pitched a perfect top of the ninth, allowing the Red Sox a chance to win it in the bottom of the inning.
Jonny Gomes started off the inning by reaching second base on an infield single and a throwing error by former Red Sox player Jose Iglesias. Gomes then advanced to third on a Rick Porcello wild pitch, setting up Saltalamacchia for the walk-off single.
The series now shifts to Detroit Tuesday. Boston will send John Lackey to the mound to face Justin Verlander.
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