Max Scherzer got the ball in the top of the first inning and Nick Punto sliced a line out to Jhonny Peralta at short to start. Jacoby Ellsbury struck out swinging but Dustin Pedroia ripped a base hit to left. Adrian Gonzalez flied out to left to end the inning. The Tigers bushwhacked Sox starter Clay Buchholz in the bottom of the first as Austin Jackson got the rally started with a double down the left field line. Brennan Boesch moved Jackson to third with a fly out to left and Austin scored on the Miguel Cabrera base hit to right. Prince Fielder ripped a base hit to right but Delmon Young struck out swinging but Alex Avila walked to load the bases. Peralta then jacked a ball deep out to center that Ellsbury slid....and dropped for a bases clearing double. Andy Dirks popped up to left to end the inning but Ellsbury's drop contributed to the Tigers leading 4-0.
The Sox fought back in the top of the second as David Ortiz beat the shift with a base hit to right to start. Darnell McDonald drew a walk but Ryan Sweeney popped up to Cabrera in foul territory. Mike Avilies doubled to center to score both runs to cut the lead and Kelly Shoppach was hit with a pitch. Punto popped up to short but Ellsbury walked to load the bases. Pedroia whiffed on a 96 mph fastball to end the inning but the Sox were down 4-2.
The Tigers struck again in the bottom of the second as Ryan Raburn was plunked to start. The Tigers executed a perfect hit and run as Jackson beat out a roller to third and Raburn made it all the way to third. Boesch took strike three but Raburn scored on the diving catch by Ellsbury off a Cabrera line drive. Fielder popped up to center to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 5-2.
The Sox exploded in the top of the third as Gonzalez hit a rocket into right for a base hit and Ortiz doubled to left to score Adrian. McDonald struck out swinging but Sweeney singled off the glove of Raburn. Avilies singled to left to score Ortiz and Shoppach was hit with a pitch again. Punto hit a fly ball to center and Sweeney made a mad dash home to tie the game. Shoppach took second on the throw and Scherzer somehow balked home Avilies and moved Shoppach to third. Ellsbury chased Scherzer with a seeing eye single to left to score Shoppach to increase the lead. Collin Balester came in to pitch and Pedroia grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-5.
Sox score 5 in the third
Buchholz did his part in the bottom of the third as Young grounded out to short to start. Avila walked but Peralta flied out to center. Dirks grounded out to second to end the inning.
Gonzalez flied out to center to start the top of the fourth but Ortiz singled to left. McDonald flied out to right and Sweeney grounded out to short to end the inning. The Tigers finished off Buchholz in the bottom of the fourth as Raburn singled to left to start. Jackson singled to left and Boesch singled to right to score Raburn. Cabrera banged into a double play but Jackson scored to tie the game. Fielder grounded into the shift to end the inning with the game tied 7-7.
Bad start for Buchholz
The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Avilies grounded out to third to start. Boesch made a great diving catch to rob Shoppach of a bloop single and Peralta made a great throw to rob Punto of a base hit to end the inning. Vicente Padilla came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Young hit a rocket to Scutaro to start. Avila grounded back to the mound and Peralta took strike three to end the inning.
The Sox took command in the top of the sixth as Ellsbury doubled down the left field line to start. Pedroia moved Ellsbury to third with a fly out to right and Tigers manager Jim Leyland made a pitching change. Daniel Schlereth came in to pitch and Gonzalez greeted him with his first home run of the season to put the Sox ahead. Ortiz went down hacking and McDonald flied out to left to end the inning with Boston ahead 9-7.
Dirks led off the bottom of the sixth with a base hit to center to start but Raburn went down hacking. Jackson swung and missed on a 93 mph fastball for strike three and Boesch also struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Sweeney grounded out to second to start. Avilies grounded out to third and Shoppach went down swinging to end the inning. Padilla returned for the bottom of the seventh and Cabrera grounded out to short to start. Fielder flied out to left but Punto bobbled a grounder by Young for a "single". Avila grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Sox blew a rally in the top of the eighth as Punto doubled into the centerfield gap to start. Ellsbury chased Schlereth by grounding out to first to move Punto to third. Brayan Villarreal came in to pitch and Pedroia hit a grounder to short that should have scored Punto....but he stopped halfway and tried to go back, only to get caught in a rundown for the second out. Pedroia made it to second on the play and that was it for Villarreal. Phil Coke came in and uncorked a wild pitch to move Pedroia to third. Gonzalez was hit with a pitch and Sox manager Bobby Valentine stormed out on the field to argue that Coke did it intentionally. Home plate umpire Dan Iasssogna warned BOTH teams and Valentine started screaming at the top of his lungs that the Tigers hit Shoppach twice, now Gonzalez. Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning, what a waste.
Padilla returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Peralta grounded out to second to start. Dirks grounded out to first and Raburn flied out to center to end the inning. Padilla tossed 4 scoreless innings to keep the Sox in the game.
Hell of an effort by Padilla
The Sox got another run in the top of the ninth as McDonald blooped a single to right to begin. Cody Ross pinch hit for Sweeney and Ross dropped a base hit out of the reach of Raburn's glove. Avilies dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners and chase Coke from the game. Octavio Dotel came in and struck out Shoppach swinging, but Punto beat out an infield single to short to score McDonald. Ellsbury grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-7.
McDonald scores a run.
The Tigers wasted no time tying the game in the bottom of the ninth against Alfredo Aceves as Jackson singled to right to start. Boesch beat out a roller up the middle and Cabrera hit a home run all the way to the Palace of Auburn Hills to tie the game. That was it for Aceves as Franklin Morales came in to mitigate the damage. Fielder struck out swinging, Young grounded out to third and Avila flied out to left to end the inning with the game tied 10-10.
Joaquin Benoit came in to pitch the top of the tenth and Pedroia walked to start. Gonzalez flied out to center, Ortiz did the same and McDonald struck out swinging to end the inning. Morales returned for the bottom of the tenth and Peralta took strike three to start. Danny Worth pinch hit for Dirks and hit a seeing eye single to left but Raburn flied out to center. Worth took second on a wild pitch but Jackson struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox somehow took the lead as Ross walked to start before moving to third on the Avilies base hit to right. Jarrod Saltalamacchia pinch hit for Shoppach and struck out swinging but Punto blooped a base hit to left to score Ross. Avilies made it to third on the play but Ellsbury struck out swinging. Pedroia lined a base hit to left to score Avilies and move Punto to third to increase the lead. Pedroia swiped second but Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 12-10.
Mark Melancon was tasked to save the game in the bottom of the eleventh but instead crapped his pants. Boesch grounded out to first but Cabrera ripped a base hit to right field. Fielder slapped a base hit to left and a wild pitch moved Cabrera to third. Young hit a sac fly to center to score Cabrera but the Sox were one out away from victory. Melancon worked the count to 2-2, one strike away......and Avila smashed a two run home run all the way to the Gulf of Mexico to win the game. The Tigers had walked off the Sox 13-12.
Tigers win
Nice relief, Jackass
Jackass of the Night is Mark Melancon. Yes Aceves gave up the home run in the ninth but Melancon was one strike away from victory when he served up the jack to Avila.
The Good:
Nick Punto was 3 for 6 with 3 rbis.
Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 6 with an rbi, walk, rbi and a run scored.
Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 6 with a walk, stolen base and an rbi.
Adrian Gonzalez was 2 for 6 with a 2 run home run and two total runs scored.
David Ortiz was 3 for 6 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Cody Ross was 1 for 1 with a walk and a run scored.
Mike Avilies was 3 for 5 with 3 rbis and 2 runs scored.
Vicente Padilla tossed 4 scoreless innings.
Franklin Morales tossed 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out as a pinch hitter.
Clay Buchholz got hammered, allowing 7 runs in 4 innings while striking out just two batters.
Alfredo Aceves allowed the three run home run to Cabrera in the ninth inning.
The Ugly:
Darnell McDonald was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored 2 runs.
Ryan Sweeney was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Kelly Shoppach was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch twice and scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
A lot of things went wrong today. Ellsbury dropping the Peralta double in the first started it and Melancon giving up the bomb to Avila was the icing on the cake. Ellsbury missed a two run double in the 11th by inches that would have iced the game, and on and on. At least the offense showed up but the pitching has been dreadful the first three games this season. To be fair, they were relying on Andrew Bailey to be the closer and instead have to turn to Aceves and Melancon. After the collapse of last year, getting off on the wrong foot was the last thing the Sox needed but here we are. Buchholz, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester all looked like garbage the same as Lester and Beckett looked at the end of last year. The Sox have plenty of time to turn things around but getting smacked around by the Tigers is a bad look after what happened last year. Blowing multiple run leads twice with the game on the line isn't going to win any games. The Sox now travel to Toronto for a three game set with the Toronto Blue Jays. Felix Doubront makes his season debut up against Henderson Alvarez the 3rd tomorrow night in Toronto. The game begins at 7:30 PM at the Skydome.
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