David Ortiz Saves the Day For the Millionth Time in His Red Sox Career

We all know that there currently is little reason to tune into Red Sox games. Still, once again David Ortiz proved to be must-watch TV whenever he steps to the plate. Boston (28-34 overall, 13-17 away) was headed to its sixth straight loss at Detroit's (33-26 overall, 16-15 home) Comerica Park until Ortiz connected for a go-ahead three-run bomb (his 14th of the season and 445th of his career) against former overhyped Yankee Joba Chamberlain (1-3). Joba rules got to be the Tigers closer for a night since Joe Nathan has been a mess this season.

They can't be too worried about the standings yet, however it should be noted that the Red Sox gained a game on all four of the other teams in the AL East since they all lost earlier in the day. Boston finally found a way to beat Detroit after starting 0-5 against everyone's pick to win the American League in 2014 (ever hear of Oakland?). It was the 27th game-tying or go-ahead hit in the ninth inning or later for Ortiz on Boston, the 16th that was a homer.

Ortiz will receive all the credit but a couple other guys kept the Red Sox in it, laying the foundation for his almost routine heroics (we are so spoiled). John Lackey (8 innings, 3 runs, 2 earned, 7 hits, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk) is still Boston's best starting pitcher while Brock Holt (4 for 5 with a triple and run) has morphed into Pedro Ciriaco circa 2012 (let's hope the team's season is a little different). Meanwhile, Mike Napoli returned with a bang: 3 for 4 with a solo homer in the sixth that tied it at two (his sixth of the season) and his first stolen base of the season. Oh and Koji Uehara pitched a 1-2-3 ninth on 13 pitches for his 12th save of the season, haha his ERA is 0.68 so I guess 2013 wasn't a complete fluke.

Dustin Pedroia gave his team a 1-0 lead in the third with a sacrifice fly. After that, Anibal Sanchez (6 innings, 2 earned runs, 6 hits, 7 strikeouts, 2 walks) kept the Red Sox in check except for Napoli's blast to right field. Tigers rookie shortstop Eugenio Suarez (great name) provided a boost with RBI singles in the third and seventh inning. Victor Martinez put Detroit up 2-1 in the fourth with an RBI single. The greatest hitter of his generation-Miguel Cabrera-was 2 for 3 with a double and run before he tapped out in the sixth with a tight hamstring. It's too much to ask for him to be in shape I guess, at least as far as we know he's not a drunk anymore.

This victory means nothing if the Red Sox can't build up some positive momentum. They have been so schizophrenic: losing 10 games in a row, winning seven and dropping the last five before tonight's Sunday Night Baseball. Here's an idea: be more consistent. Toronto (38-26) looks like the team to beat this season in the AL East while Baltimore (31-30) and New York (31-31) are the epitome of average. Tampa Bay (24-40) is the one team I think that you can completely write off in the division, assuming you haven't done that already with Boston.

The Red Sox can chip away at their 3.5 game gap behind the Orioles beginning tomorrow night (7:05, NESN) at Camden Yards. Boston plays three games against Baltimore, the Red Sox are 4-3 so far in 2014 against the O's. Jake Peavy (1-3) faces Bud Norris (4-5) in the opener, Brandon Workman (0-0) opposes Chris Tillman (5-2) on Tuesday (7:05, NESN) and Rubby De La Rosa (1-1) takes on Wei-Yin Chen (6-2) on Wednesday (7:05, NESN) in the series finale.

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Red Sox Are 1 Win Away from the 2013 World Series After Another 1-run Victory

All season long, one of the Red Sox' M.O. has been bouncing back from normally crushing losses. That has carried over to the postseason as Boston beat Detroit 4-3 in Game 5 of the ALCS tonight at Comerica Park. Koji Uehara recorded (2nd save of the series, 4th of the postseason) the first five-out save in MLB this October, which featured two strikeouts.

The Red Sox lead the series 3-2 with two chances to win at Fenway Park: Game 6 is Saturday and Game 7 would be Sunday but let's not hope it gets to that.

Two themes from the entire series continued in Boston's favor: they won their third one-run game and it's all thanks to their top-notch relievers. After being basically unhittable in Game 1, Anibal Sanchez (1-1; 6 IP, 4 runs, 3 earned runs, 9 hits, 5 strikeouts, 0 walks) came back to Earth in a big way. Jon Lester (1-1) was also better in Game 1 but tonight was all about surviving. He went 5.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks.

The Red Sox scored all their runs in the first three innings, specifically three in the second and one in the third. Suddenly red-hot Mike Napoli (3 for 4, double, 2 runs) started the surge with a solo homer (his second of the ALCS) to dead center that was estimated to travel 460 feet. Lester's personal catcher David Ross even helped himself at the plate with two hits including an RBI double. Jacoby Ellsbury (walk, 2 stolen bases) reached on an infield single that scored rookie Xander Bogaerts (who batted eighth, started at third base and hit a double). Napoli made it 4-0 on a wild pitch by Sanchez.

Napoli's last run, which turned out to be huge, was a quality baserunning play. Completely different from Miguel Cabrera getting thrown out by Jonny Gomes at home plate in the first to end the first inning. Detroit has to be the slowest team in MLB, that's one thing the Red Sox have tried to exploit. Cabrera did what he does best: he kicked off Detroit's rally with an RBI single in the fifth.

Ross had run over Tigers catcher Alex Avila so he had to leave in the fourth inning with a knee strain. Enter backup catcher Brayan Pena who drove in a run with a single in the sixth. A run scored but Junichi Tazawa did his job by getting Cabrera to ground into a double play in the seventh-one of three turned by the Red Sox in Game 5. Craig Breslow got two outs, one of which was the hopeless Prince Fielder (1 for 4, saw 10 pitches) before Tazawa retired the last five Detroit batters in the game.

Game 6 is a rematch of Game 2 with Max Scherzer taking on Clay Buchholz. Scherzer was incredible but his bullpen totally let the team down as Boston rallied for the 6-5 win. I still like Buchholz's chances to have a good outing given his talent level. You have to feel like the Red Sox have the momentum too since they've won three out of the last four games (2 of 3 in Detroit) to put the Tigers on the brink of elimination.

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Red Sox Nearly Get No-Hit, Fall 1-0 to Tigers in Game 1 of ALCS

Well I guess that we should at least be happy the Red Sox didn't get no-hit in Game 1 of the ALCS vs. Tigers, that would have been even tougher to take than tonight's 1-0 loss at Fenway Park. Anibal Sanchez (6 IP, 12 Ks, 6 BBs) was brilliant and three Detroit relievers got it to the ninth where Joaquin Benoit pitched a scoreless ninth with a strikeout for the win.

Obviously Jon Lester (6.1 IP, 6 hits, 1 ER, 4 Ks, 1 BB) gave Boston exactly the type of ace start that they needed. Jhonny Peralta (2 doubles) provided the only run of the game on an RBI single that scored Victor Martinez in the sixth.

Benoit recorded the first out in the ninth before Daniel Nava blooped it into center field for what turned out to be Boston's lone hit. All the lights out pitching by the Tigers (17 Ks, 6 BBs) made this super intense and nearly four hours (3:56) because the Red Sox were basically doing the same thing.

Common sense says that tomorrow night's (8:07, Fox) game is a must-win for the Red Sox. They are at home where they play so well and they cannot afford to go to Detroit down 2-0 in the series. It could be another low-scoring game in Game 2 because Max Scherzer (he of 21 wins during the regular season) takes on Clay
Buchholz.

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