Revamped lineup ignites Detroit
TIGERS 7, RED SOX 3
detroit » Austin Jackson was dropped from first to eighth in the batting order, and suddenly the Boston Red Sox couldn’t get him out.
Arevitalized Jackson delivered in manager JimLeyland’s revamped lineup as the Detroit Tigers built a big lead and held on this time, beating the Red Sox 7-3 onWednesday night to even the AL Championship Series at 2-all.
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 andmoved 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.
“I think it just helped me relax,” Jackson said. “That was the goal. To getme to relax a little, be patient get a good pitch and let the rest take care of itself.”
Doug Fister allowed a run in six innings, and after blowing a 5-0 lead in Game 2, Detroit kept the Red Sox at bayWednesday.
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.
Jackson finished with two singles and two walks. 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. Jacksonwas 3-for-33 with 18 strikeouts in the postseason beforeWednesday, and although Leyland left him in the lineup, he changed the batting order. Jackson hit eighth, and with othersmoving up a spot, it made for an oddlooking 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.
“Thatwas pretty good. He switched things up, kinda shake it up a little bit,” Hunter said. “It gave us a different mind-set. Miggy hitting second, me leading off. It gave us a different mind-set to make things happen.”
Detroit blew a 5-0 lead in Game 2 — with the bullpen responsible formost of the damage — and Cabrera and Prince Fielder both struck out with runners at the corners in the eighth inning of Game 3. The tension was building in Motown, but the defending AL champions jumped out to an early lead Wednesday.