There's accountability and 25 guys who prioritize winning baseball games beyond any kind of individual achievement or accolade.
South Windsor, CT (PRWEB) October 12, 2013
Game 1 of the American League Championship Series is finally here, and it’s guaranteed to be a gripping night of play. The stellar strikeout crew of the ALDS league champions Detroit Tigers square off against the offensive powerhouse of the Boston Red Sox. Don’t miss out on the live action; get your playoff tickets to Fenway Park at Ticket Liquidator.
While the Red Sox have the home-field advantage, the Tigers were 4-3 against the Red Sox during the regular season. Both teams were 1-2 in the Major Leagues in both runs scored and OPs, but the Red Sox slightly tipped the balance in home runs and ran away with the lead in stolen bases—123 in the regular season compared to the 35 of the Detroit Tigers. A year after finishing last place, AL East champion Red Sox tied the St. Louis Cardinals for the best record in baseball, with 97 wins during the regular season.
"There's accountability and 25 guys who prioritize winning baseball games beyond any kind of individual achievement or accolade,” said Red Sox southpaw Craig Breslow about Boston’s turnaround this year, according to The Boston Globe.
Both teams have been playing in the American League since 1901. However, this is the first time they’ve met post-season. They’ve taken decidedly different paths outside of the regular season to reach the ALCS.
The Red Sox won their Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 Tuesday night, allowing them to advance to the ALCS for the first time in five years. Rotating four pitchers (out of a total nine in the game), the Rays had the first 11 outs of the game. Boston’s Breslow struck out the first four batters he faced in the late innings of their victory.
The Rays lost their 1-0 lead in the seventh when Shane Victorino’s single allowed Jacob Ellsbury to push for home for the Red Sox.
For Detroit, pitcher Jason Verlander reprised his stellar role from Game 5 of 2012 Thursday night by effectively shutting down the Oakland Athletics offense into the seventh inning. Allowing only three baserunners—including one walk—Verlander struck out 10 in his eight innings.
Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run homer in the fourth, giving the Tigers their first run on the scoreboard in 20 innings at Oakland’s O.co Coliseum. The Detroit Tigers triumphed over the A’s 3-0.
With this win, the Tigers are the first team to reach the ALCS three years in a row since the New York Yankees from 1998 to 2001. The Tigers have their eyes on the championship prize after being swept by the San Francisco Giants in four games of the 2012 World Series.
"That's the motivation that we've been looking for, that we've had all year," Verlander said, according to the Associate Press (via ESPN). "Guys like Torii [Hunter] who wasn't a part of our team last year, he comes in and he's got that urge. He wants to win that championship before he retires. Everybody else that was here that had a taste of that last year, how much it hurts, it's that extra driving factor."
On the other hand, the Red Sox are the only team in MLB that hasn’t lost four games in row this season. In the best-of-seven champion series, it is anyone’s guess which team will stand victorious at the end.
The ALCS begins tonight with Game 1 between the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers at 8 p.m. ET Saturday at Fenway Park.
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