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Detroit • A revitalized Austin Jackson delivered in manager Jim Leyland's revamped lineup as the Detroit Tigers built a big lead and held on this time, beating the Boston Red Sox 7-3 Wednesday night to even the AL championship series 2-2.
Torii Hunter had a two-run double and Miguel Cabrera drove in two runs after Leyland dropped the slumping Jackson to eighth in the order and moved almost everyone else up a place following the Tigers' 1-0 loss in Game 3. Jackson drew a bases-loaded walk off Jake Peavy for the first run of Detroit's five-run second inning.
Doug Fister allowed a run in six innings, and after blowing a 5-0 lead in Game 2, Detroit kept the Red Sox at bay Wednesday.
Game 5 is Thursday night in Detroit. The Tigers' Anibal Sanchez faces Boston's Jon Lester in a rematch of Game 1, which was won by Detroit 1-0.
Jacoby Ellsbury had four hits for the Red Sox, finishing a homer shy of the cycle.
The Tigers lost Games 2 and 3, wasting gems by Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. Jackson was 3 for 33 with 18 strikeouts in the postseason before Wednesday, and although Leyland left him in the lineup, he changed the batting order. Jackson hit eighth, and with others moving up a spot, it made for an odd-looking order. Hunter hit leadoff for the first time since 1999 and Cabrera was second for only the third time in his career — first since 2004.
Jackson found himself batting in a crucial situation right away, with the bases loaded and one out in the second. Peavy walked him on four pitches to force home the game's first run.
The Red Sox had a chance to halt that rally when Jose Iglesias hit a potential double play grounder to second, but Dustin Pedroia couldn't field it cleanly and Boston had to settle for a forceout at second that brought another run home. —
Schedule
O All games on Fox
Detroit 1, Boston 0
Boston 6, Detroit 5
Boston 1, Detroit 0
Detroit 7, Boston 3
Thursday • Boston (Lester 15-8) at Detroit, 6:07 p.m.
Saturday • Detroit at Boston, 2:37 p.m.
x-Sunday • Detroit at Boston, 6:07 p.m.
x-if necessary Tigers 7, Red Sox 3
Boston AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Ellsbury cf 5 1 4 1 0 0 .333
Victorino rf 5 0 1 1 0 2 .125
Pedroia 2b 4 0 1 0 1 1 .214
D.Ortiz dh 5 0 0 0 0 0 .067
Napoli 1b 4 1 2 0 0 1 .250
Nava lf 3 0 1 0 0 1 .333
b-J.Gmes ph-lf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .250
Sltalamacchia c 4 0 2 1 0 1 .250
Drew ss 4 0 0 0 0 2 .077
Mddlbrooks 3b 2 0 0 0 0 2 .100
a-Carp ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Bogaerts 3b 1 1 1 0 0 0 .500
Totals 39 3 12 3 1 10
Detroit AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Tor.Hunter rf 5 1 1 2 0 1 .211
Mi.Cabrera 3b 4 0 2 2 0 1 .267
R.Santiago 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 —-
Fielder 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .200
V.Martinez dh 4 1 2 0 0 0 .400
Jh.Peralta lf 2 1 0 0 1 1 .357
D.Kelly lf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Avila c 1 1 0 0 2 0 .273
Infante 2b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .143
A.Jackson cf 2 1 2 2 2 0 .200
Iglesias ss 3 1 1 1 0 0 .286
Totals 30 7 9 7 5 4
—
Boston 000 001 101 — 3 12 0
Detroit 050 200 00x — 7 9 0
—
a-grounded into a fielder's choice for Middlebrooks in the 6th. b-popped out for Nava in the 8th.
LOB—Boston 10, Detroit 6. 2B—Ellsbury (1), Victorino (1), Napoli (1), Bogaerts (1), Tor.Hunter (2), Infante (1). 3B—Ellsbury (1). RBIs—Ellsbury (1), Victorino (1), Saltalamacchia (2), Tor.Hunter 2 (2), Mi.Cabrera 2 (3), A.Jackson 2 (2), Iglesias (1). SB—Mi.Cabrera (1), A.Jackson (1). S—Iglesias.
Runners left in scoring position—Boston 6 (Drew, D.Ortiz 2, Pedroia, Carp, Napoli) Detroit 2 (Fielder, Tor.Hunter). RISP—Boston 2 for 16 Detroit 4 for 9.
Runners moved up—D.Ortiz, Nava. GIDP—Tor.Hunter, Infante.
DP—Boston 2 (Drew, Pedroia, Napoli), (Pedroia, Drew, Napoli).
Boston IP H R ER BB SO ERA
Peavy L, 0-1 3 5 7 7 3 1 21.00
Workman 2 1 0 0 1 2 0.00
Dempster 1 1 0 0 0 0 0.00
F.Morales 1 1 0 0 0 0 0.00
Doubront 1 1 0 0 1 1 0.00
Detroit IP H R ER BB SO ERA
Fister W, 1-0 6 8 1 1 1 7 1.50
Coke 0 1 1 1 0 0 27.00
Alburquerque 1⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 4.50
Smyly 11⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 4.50
Benoit 1 2 1 1 0 2 7.71
Coke pitched to 1 batter in the 7th.
Peavy pitched to 2 batters in the 4th.
Inherited runners-scored—Workman 1-1, Alburquerque 1-1, Smyly 1-0. HBP—by Doubront (Avila).
Umpires—Home, Alfonso Marquez First, Dale Scott Second, Dan Iassogna Third, Joe West Right, Ron Kulpa Left, Rob Drake.
T—3:27. A—42,765 (41,255).