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NEW FEATURE REMINDER!
Snap reactions (which also serves as your thread of joy) will be posted immediately following the game while we take a bit of extra time on a full recap.
Snap reaction: The combination of the Red Sox's penchant for painfully slow play, a badly struggling Max Scherzer and a Daniel Schlereth meatball served up to Adrian Gonzalez made for one long damn afternoon...until Miguel Cabrera said, "Si or no?" and Alex Avila said, "SI!"
The Tigers took an early 4-0 lead, 3 of the runs scoring a bases clearing Jhonny Peralta double off the glove of a diving Jacoby Ellsbury. Unfortunately, Scherzer gave it all back, and then some. After much pitching ugliness and 7 runs, Colin Balester took over in the third for Scherzer. The Tigers came back to tie the game in the fourth.
Schlereth took over for Balester in the sixth...and the sound you heard was Tigers Nation screaming "WHY?" as Schelerth's his first pitch was deposited deep over the right field fence by Gonzalez., scoring 2 runs.
But down 10-7, the never say die Tigers didn't, well, say die. Austin Jackson and Brennan Boesch opened the bottom of the ninth with singles. Alfredo Aceves threw one pitch to Cabrera, and immediately hung his head. Cabrera's clutch three run shot tied the game at 10 all.
In extras, all I can say is...I hate Nick Punto. His dying quail single gave the Red Sox back the lead in the eleventh. The Red Sox added an insurance run, and it was all over but for the cursing at Punto...or so we thought. Why?
The Tigers refused to lose.
4 hours and 45 minutes into the game, after Delmon Young plated Cabrera with a sac fly, and Prince Fielder on 1st base, Avila ended the marathon by taking Mark Melancon over the right field wall for the walkoff win! One season wonder? Pish tosh, people.
So the Tigers walk away from their first series of the season taking all 3 games from a charter member of the east coast axis of evil. Can you say "PANIC IN BEANTOWN?" You can also add, "It's damn good to be a Tigers fan!"