The Red Sox are out for a sweep of the Tigers Thursday night--suitable revenge for the three straight losses dealt them by Detroit to begin the season. They'll have Josh Beckett on the mound looking for his fourth straight strong start, while Max Scherzer will be happy just to get his ERA closer to 5.00 than to 6.00.
We'll keep you up-to-date with all the action as it goes down in Fenway Park.
Tigers 7, Red Sox 3, Final -- Boston fails to sweep Detroit as there's nothing forthcoming in the bottom half of the ninth.
Tigers 7, Red Sox 3, Mid 9th -- A bizarre pair of insurance runs comes across as Miguel Cabrera singles, steals second, and reaches third on an error as Salty guns the ball more into the ground than to second base. Prince Fielder then makes the stolen base irrelevant by hitting an RBI triple into the triangle to give Detroit their sixth run. With Delmon Young singling behind him, it's 7-3 headed to the last half-inning.
Tigers 5, Red Sox 3, End 8th -- 1-2-3 go the Sox in the bottom half of the inning. With the worst part of the lineup coming up, this doesn't seem like it's going to be a win.
Tigers 5, Red Sox 3, Mid 8th -- Franklin Morales quickly gives up an insurance run in the top of the eighth, surrendering a loud fly ball over the Monster and off the AAA sign to Delmon Young to make it a 2-run game.
Tigers 4, Red Sox 3, End 7th -- Max Scherzer is out, but even with him leaving the bullpen a baserunner and no outs in the seventh, the bullpen is able to get through its first inning. Phil Coke nearly gives up the run when Daniel Nava hits a very long fly ball to center, but Quintin Barry tracks back and spins at the wall to haul it in for the second out before Adrian Gonzalez hits a flare to Delmon Young in left to end the inning.
Tigers 4, Red Sox 3, Mid 7th -- Josh Beckett has at least made his night respectable by getting through the seventh inning. He hasn't been good tonight, but it's still very much a winnable game with some help from the offense.
Tigers 4, Red Sox 3, End 6th -- Another 1-2-3 frame for the Sox, but Ryan Sweeney at least makes Scherzer throw nine pitches, meaning he's likely gone to start the 7th.
Tigers 4, Red Sox 3, Mid 6th -- Josh Beckett enjoys his first 1-2-3 inning since the first, also picking up his first strikeout along the way, getting Jhonny Peralta looking at strike three for the second out.
Tigers 4, Red Sox 3, End 5th -- The heart of the order goes 1-2-3 as Max Scherzer seems to have settled all the way down. The good news is that, with 98 pitches on his arm, he shouldn't be in the game much longer.
Tigers 4, Red Sox 3, Mid 5th -- Josh Beckett's tough night continues, as the Tigers show the Sox how small ball is played. A perfectly placed bunt from Quintin Barry quickly turns into three bases when Saltalamacchia's throw to second on an attempted steal hits Barry and caroms into left field, allowing him to scamper to third, and then score on Miguel Cabrera's single.
Red Sox 3, Tigers 3, End 4th -- The Sox try and play some small ball after a leadoff single from Mike Aviles, with Punto bunting him to second, but can't push him across as Scott Podsednik narrowly misses reaching on a swinging bunt and Daniel Nava flies out to right.
Red Sox 3, Tigers 3, Mid 4th -- The Tigers continue to get good contact off of Josh Beckett, as Gerald Laird leads off the inning with a Fenway single off the wall in left. The Tigers cannot get him in, however, with two ground outs and a fly ball to center leaving him stranded at third.
Red Sox 3, Tigers 3, End 3rd -- Jarrod Saltalamacchia is once again able to produce in a big spot for the Red Sox. After a two-out double down the line in left from Kevin Youkilis, Saltalamacchia shot a line drive back up the middle and into center field to bring the third baseman home, erasing the Sox' deficit.
Tigers 3, Red Sox 2, Mid 3rd -- Having been gifted a 2-0 lead by his offense, Josh Beckett wastes no time in coughing up three runs. After a blooper and double put men on second and third with nobody out, the focus becomes less keeping the lead than preserving the tie, but Beckett doesn't even do that. A single and a stolen base put Beckett right back into the same position but with a run in, and a sacrifice fly and Prince Fielder single give the Tigers the lead before the inning comes to an end.
Red Sox 2, Tigers 0, End 2nd -- The Sox get on the board against Scherzer in a hurry, as Jarrod Saltalamacchia turns on an inside 1-1 pitch and takes it out into the stands by the triangle for a solo shot. Ryan Sweeney follows with a single, but the Sox seem ready to strand him at first until Scott Podsednik comes to the plate and launches a long fly ball to center. With Barry playing shallow, the ball gets up and over his head for the RBI double.
Red Sox 0, Tigers 0, Mid 2nd -- Though Josh Beckett comes out strong, retiring Prince Fielder on an easy fly ball and getting ahead of Delmon Young 0-2, Young is able to fight his way back into the at-bat, and eventually lace a single over Adrian Gonzalez' head at first. A sharp, low drive by Alex Avila to left quickly puts runners on second and third as it rolls all the way to the wall, leaving Beckett in a jam.
Luckily for Beckett, Ryan Sweeney is prepared to play the superhero, running down a soft fly ball in right field and making a perfect throw home to catch Young by a good five feet as he tries to tag up and score, saving a run and ending the inning.
Red Sox 0, Tigers 0, End 1st -- Max Scherzer is through a scoreless first inning, but it was no easy frame. After getting Scott Podsednik to look at a low strike three, Scherzer had Daniel Nava lace a 1-1 changeup into right field for the first base hit of the game. Adrian Gonzalez would go down without too much trouble, but from there Scherzer lost much of his control, offering up a four pitch walk to David Ortiz and falling behind 3-1 to Kevin Youkilis before battling out to get Kevin Youkilis looking at a pitch on the outside corner to end the inning.
Red Sox 0, Tigers 0, Mid 1st -- Josh Beckett enjoys a quick 1-2-3 first inning, but it doesn't come without danger. A Brennan Boesch ground ball to short nearly went for an infield single as Aviles had to throw off his back foot, with the ball just beating the runner to first, and Miguel Cabrera followed up with a very long fly ball that Ryan Sweeney just barely had enough room to turn into an out.