Just because there isn’t going to be a Tigers game tonight doesn’t mean that we can’t watch baseball.
Let’s throw it back to that magical 2012 season – Game 2 of the American League Divisional Series against the Oakland Athletics, to be exact.
The Tigers would take a 2-0 series lead with a thrilling 5-4 victory in front of a packed Comerica Park.
[I]Oakland took a 1–0 lead in the top of the third inning when they put together three singles off Tiger starter Doug Fister, with Yoenis Céspedes’ base hit driving in the game’s first run. Brandon Moss followed with another single, but Tiger right fielder Avisaíl García threw out Coco Crisp at home plate as Crisp was attempting to score from second base.
The Tigers tied the score at one in the bottom of the third. Miguel Cabrera hit his second double of the game, moved to third on a single by Prince Fielder, and scored on a slow roller to first off the bat of Delmon Young. Oakland retook the lead in the seventh inning when an RBI single by Cliff Pennington plated Seth Smith, but the lead was short-lived.
In the bottom of the frame, Austin Jackson and Omar Infante each hit two-out singles. Miguel Cabrera followed with a short fly ball to center field, which a hard-charging Coco Crisp bobbled and dropped. Jackson and Infante both scored on the error, and the Tigers had their first lead of the game, 3–2. Detroit reliever Joaquín Benoit, however, failed to hold the lead in the next inning. Yoenis Cespedes singled and stole both second and third. With one out and the infield in, Benoit threw a wild pitch that scored Cespedes to tie the game at three. Josh Reddick then quickly untied it one batter later, with a home run to right. For the third time in the game, and fourth time in the series, the A’s failed to hold a lead in the bottom of an inning that they had gained in the top of the same inning.
Delmon Young greeted reliever Ryan Cook with a single, and was lifted for pinch runner Don Kelly. Jhonny Peralta followed with a single, sending Kelly to second. Kelly and pinch runner Danny Worth then moved up 90 feet (27 m) on a sacrifice bunt by Andy Dirks. Kelly scored on a Cook wild pitch, knotting the game at four. A’s closer Grant Balfour was called upon in the ninth to keep the game tied, but could not succeed.
After back-to-back one-out singles by Omar Infante and Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder was intentionally walked, bringing Don Kelly to the plate. Kelly, a .186 hitter during the regular season, delighted the home crowd by hitting a walk-off sacrifice fly to right that plated Infante with the winning run. Al Alburquerque got the win in relief, while Balfour took the loss.[/I]
– – Quotes via Wikipedia Link – –
