DON KELLY!
The Tiger who lost his place on the 40-man roster this summer and made his return in September hit a tie-breaking walk-off sacrifice fly Sunday to give Detroit a 5-4 victory in the ALDS.
Detroit has a 2-0 lead in the ALDS as it heads to Oakland to resume play Tuesday.
DON KELLY, hero wizard!
Singles by Omar Infante and Miguel Cabrera to open the ninth gave the Tigers the opportunity. Prince Fielder was walked intentionally.
Kelly lofted an 0-1 pitch into the air to right field, and it was over.
Earlier the game went back and forth, with Detroit answering each time Oakland scored before adding the game-winner.
The starters in this game combined to allow three runs in a game that had both defensive miscues and normally-reliable bullpens making a mess.
Seven of the nine runs the teams combined for came in the seventh inning or later. A few came on wild pitches.
The highlight you'll see -- and yet another moment for the A's that will be replayed when tales of their woe are told -- came in the seventh inning. Down by a run but with runners on, Cabrera hit what was not an automatic out but an out that could have been made. Coco Crisp running in for the basket catch could only watch in horror as the ball caromed to the ground. Detroit led 3-2.
Down again in the eighth, the Tigers got the first two runners on, bunting them to second and third. With two outs on the board, the A's may have escaped if not for a bounced pitch that went to the backstop. Tie game.
Fister gave up two runs on six hits in seven innings. A's starter Tommy Milone allowed just one run in six innings.
Joaquin Benoit asked his Tigers teammates to bail him out after allowing a run to score on a bounced pitch, then allowing the A's to go ahead with a solo home run.
Al Alburquerque got the win for Detroit, throwing just three pitches, receiving the last back at the mound, kissing the ball and delivering it to first base for the final out in the top of the ninth.