After the Red Sox got on the board in the fifth inning courtesy of a Xander Bogaerts double off the Green Monster and a Jacoby Ellsbury single, the Tigers made a quick strike to drive Clay Buchholz from the game in the top of the sixth. Torii Hunter led off the frame with a walk, and Miguel Cabrera hit a sharp single to left fielder Jonny Gomes, moving Hunter to second base.
Tigers vs. Red Sox, ALCS Game 6 score update: 2-1 Tigers, bottom 6
The Red Sox strike first on the scoreboard, but the Tigers are quick to draw blood in the sixth inning.
Red Sox manager Jon Farrell elected to pull Buchholz in favor of southpaw Franklin Morales, who came in to face the lefty-swinging Prince Fielder. Fielder, who has struggled mightily during the postseason, didn't have to lift the bat from his shoulder; he walked on four pitches, loading the bases for Victor Martinez.
Martinez drilled a 2-1 fastball off the Green Monster for a long single, bringing home two runs for Detroit and giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Farrell immediately yanked Morales to bring in Brandon Workman to face Jhonny Peralta, with runners on the corners and no out.
Peralta promptly hit a ground ball to Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia tagged Martinez as he was running to second base, then faked to get Fielder napping on third base. Fielder, caught in a rundown, bellyflopped on his way back to third base and was tagged for the second out. Peralta moved to second base on the play.
Tigers manager Jim Leyland then pulled Peralta to bring in pinch-runner Don Kelly. Kelly didn't get a chance to run, though, as Alex Avila stared at strike three to end the top of the inning.
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