Tigers Rally, Sox Walkoff in 9th (8/1/10)

After the Sox rallied 2 consecutive games, it was the Tigers turn to spoil the party.

Clay Buchholz was on from the very beginning. scattering 5 baserunners through the first 8 innings. As the game went on, he only struck out 5 but his effectiveness kept his pitch count down. He got stronger as the game went on, finishing the 8th inning with a flurry.

His counterpart Justin Verlander (12-7), was off. He threw 77 pitches through the first 4 innings allowing 3 runs in the process. Eric Patterson drove in Adrian Beltre in the second, then Beltre drove in Youkilis in the third followed by a Ryan Kalish sac fly to make the score 3-0.

The Tigers then held on by the slimmest of margins as Verlander then pitched a scoreless 5th, 6th and 7th to keep the game close. Then it was on to the 9th inning and Buchholz came back out, which was probably Francona's worst decision all day. Will Rhymes poked a single over the head of Jed Lowrie and then Ryan Raburn walked, chasing Buchholz from the game. Closer Jonathan Papelbon (4-4) was brought in the game to face AL MVP candidate Miguel Cabrera, who then crushed a wall ball double to score Rhymes and Rayburn. Paps then got Brendan Boesch to strike out swinging before new addition Jhonny Peralta tied the game with a seeing eye single past Jed Lowrie and Marco Scutaro. Just like that Buchholz gem was wasted and a sure game was now in jeapordy. Jon got Jeff Frazier to ground into an inning ending double play to stop the bleeding.

In the 9th, the Sox had yet another winning rally. Jed Lowrie hit a shot to Peralta who knocked the ball down but couldn't throw him out. Darnell McDonald ran for Jed as reliever Brad Thomas walked Eric Patterson. In came Robbie Weinhardt as Marco Scutaro prepared to bunt. The first attemped went 100 feet behind him but the second attempt got down. Weinhardt then ended up throwing the ball and the game away as the throw sailed past 1st basemen Miguel Cabrera to score McDonald from second.

It was the third straight 9th inning rally producing 2 wins, which doesn't help the starter's separate quests for the Cy Young but it certainly helps in the standings as they gain a game on the Yankees. Up next is a 4 game series against Cleveland who traded away Jake Westbrook and Peralta.