The Tigers, after losing game 1, sent Max Scherzer to the mound. He got hit early, and the Rangers took a 2-0 lead after one inning. The Rangers' starter, Derek Holland, wasn't sharp, though. He wriggled out of trouble in the first and second, but then Ryan Raburn took him deep for a three-run blast in the third to put the Tigers ahead.
Raburn's blow was ironic, given that the Tigers had to go to him because of the loss of Magglio Ordonez due of a broken ankle. The Tigers suddenly had a shortage of outfielders, as Delmon Young was previously shelved for an oblique strain. Young was able to go, though, but Raburn took Ordonez's place. The Tigers lineup was, on the surface, a weak-hitting one. But they've gotten key hits from unlikely sources all year.
Holland was yanked, which started the incredible work of the Ranger's bullpen. Scott Feldman started it, throwing over four scoreless innings. Meanwhile Scherzer had settled down, and the game quickly moved to the sixth. Tiger manager Jim Leyland could be seen talking to Scherzer in the dugout. Presumably he told him he would have one more batter, a right-hander, Nelson Cruz. After that, the Tigers could face the Rangers left-handed hitters with Phil Coke. Then, Joaquin Benoit in the seventh and eighth, Jose Valverde in the ninth, and back to Detroit even in the series.
But there's that saying about the best laid plans of mice and men. Cruz socked Scherzer's pitch off the left-field foul pole, tying the game and forcing Leyland to start from scratch. Coke did get the next two, and Benoit got through his innings, but Valverde would have to come in a non-save situation, unless the Tigers could score in the top of the frame.
Rangers reliever Alex Ogando was on the mound. He quickly got the first two hitters, but Ramon Santiago singled softly. Lefty Michael Gonzalez came in to face Don Kelly, who has been indispensable this post-season. He lined a double down the rightfield line. I'm not sure why Santiago was not able to score (Fox did not show a replay of his jump or whether he had any chance had he dashed toward home).
In came Neftali Perez to face Victor Martinez, who had the highest batting average of anyone in the majors with runners in scoring position. Perez was able to get Martinez to pop into shallow center. Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus made an over-the-shoulder catch, but a replay revealed he actually juggled the ball against his chest. Andrus laughed with relief, Tiger fans fumed.
Valverde, perfect in save situations, but eminently hittable in non-save situations, was greeted in the bottom of the ninth by a double off the wall by Adrian Beltre. A walk and a hit batsmen loaded the bases with no outs. Ranger fans smelled victory. With the outfield and infield in, David Murphy flied to Raburn in left, but Beltre (not lifted for a pinch-runner) didn't challenge. That was huge, as Mitch Moreland grounded into a 3-2-3 double play, and somehow the Tigers survived.
Valverd and Perez each pitched another inning without incident. But in the bottom of the 11th, Leyland was forced to go with Ryan Perry, who promptly loaded the bases with three consecutive singles (the last fell between Austin Jackson and Andy Dirks and should have been caught). It didn't matter, though, because Cruz, who is on a clear path to MVP of this series, crushed Perry's offering for a walk-off grand slam. Amazingly, it was the first walk-off grand slam in post-season history.
The Tigers limp home now. The biggest difference between the two teams, thus far, is the greater depth of the Rangers bullpen. Feldman came up huge, and where Mike Adams mowed through the Tigers lineup after Perez was lifted, Perry couldn't get an out. Leyland may be second-guessed for leaving Scherzer in to Cruz in the sixth, and one wonders whether Martinez's toe injury has limited his effectiveness at the plate--he's left a lot of runners on base in this post-season.
It will also be interesting to see if Perez and Valverde will be affected by throwing two innings. The two teams resume the series tonight.
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