CJ GUNTHER/EPA
We’ve seen it before and David Ortiz does it again–coming through in the clutch with a game-tying grand slam in the eighth inning.
BOSTON – With one swing of the bat, David Ortiz may have swung the momentum in the American League Championship Series.
The Red Sox offense had been completely stifled for 16 innings until Ortiz launched a game-tying grand slam off Detroit closer Joaquin Benoit in the eighth inning to tie Game 2. One inning later the Red Sox were chasing Jarrod Saltalamacchia from first base into short center field to mob him after his walk-off single to left gave the Sox a 6-5 victory and tied the series at one game apeiece.
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Dustin Pedroia awaits to embrace Ortiz at home plate after his clutch grand slam.
Almost 10 minutes after the game ended, many in the crowd of 38, 029 remained to chant “Pa-pi! Pa-pi!” until Ortiz acknowledged them.
The ALCS moves to Detroit now for Tuesday’s Game 3 where Tigers ace Justin Verlander goes against Boston’s John Lackey.
Jonny Gomes led off the Boston ninth against Rick Porcello with a single to the hole between shortstop and third base and he moved into scoring position when Jose Iglesias fielded it, tried to make the throw out at first base and the ball sailed wide for an error. He moved up to third on a wild pitch during Saltalamacchia’s at-bat.
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Will Middlebrooks celebrates after crossing home plate.
Saltalamacchia laced a 3-and-1 pitch for the game-winning single, but he was almost retired on 2-and-0 pitch that he popped-up in foul territory. First baseman Prince Fielder was in position right against the stands to make the catch, but it glanced off his glove and into the crowd. Two pitches later, the Sox were winners.
Yankee fans are well aware of Ortiz’s flare for the dramatic postseason home runs and that grand slam can be added to the his growing list.
Detroit starter Max Scherzer throttled the Sox over the first seven innings, allowing just two hits and one run – a stellar encore after five Detroit pitchers combined on a one-hit shutout the night before. But the suspicion all along was that if the Tigers had a weak spot it was their bullpen and at least that was the case last night.
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Torii Hunter falls over the fence trying to rob Ortiz.
Three Tiger relievers allowed three baserunners while getting just two outs and Detroit manager Jim Leyland summoned his closer to face Ortiz. It was a first-pitch fastball and the Boston slugger got every bit of it, driving it on a line into the Sox’ bullpen. Right fielder Torii Hunter went after it full speed, extended a glove that wasn’t all that close to it and then hit the bullpen wall and flipped over it.
He remained in the game.
Scherzer, the Tigers’ 21-game winner and the odds-on favorite for the AL Cy Young, carried a no-hitter into the sixth before Shane Victorino broke it up by lining a two-out single to left. To that point for the series, the Red Sox were 1-for-45 with 27 strikeouts and the biggest cheer of the night at Fenway had been for a long flyout by Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the fifth.
When Scherzer came out after seven, the Sox had gone 3-for-51 with 30 strikeouts.
Alex Avila drove in three runs, one on a double in the second and two on a homer that punctuated a four-run sixth that knocked Sox starter Clay Buchholz out of the game. Miguel Cabrera hit his second homer of the postseason.
Buchholz got off to a more than respectable start, allowing just three hits through his first five innings. But all three of them came in the second inning and added up to the first Tigers run. Ex-Red Sox Victor Martinez doubled to right center, moved to third on a Jhonny Peralta single and scored on Alex Avila’s single to center.
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