BAL 7, DET 6: Delmon Young's pinch-hit, 3-run double gives Orioles commanding 2-0 series lead
Delmon Young's bases-clearing double in the eighth inning helped the Baltimore Orioles rally from a three-run deficit to down the Detroit Tigers 7-6 and take a 2-0 lead in the American League Division Series on Friday.
Young's pinch-hit capped a four-run eighth that saw the struggling Tigers bullpen implode yet again. Orioles closer Zach Britton retired the side in order in the ninth to secure the Game 2 victory.
Joba Chamberlain, who relieved Anibal Sanchez, blew a three-run lead, recording just one out before hitting Adam Jones, surrendering a single to Nelson Cruz and serving up a two-run base hit to Steve Pearce.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus then turned to right-hander Joakim Soria, who walked J.J. Hardy before Young's hit cashed in the Orioles' shortstop and ignited a frenzied Camden Yards crowd.
X-factor
Young scorched pitchers this season as a pinch-hitter, slashing .500/.565./.800 (10-for-20) with a homer, double and triple in the role.
The legend of Delmon Young continues to grow.
Equally deserving of the X-factor honor is rookie Kevin Gausman, who relieved starter Wei-Yin Chen with 3 2/3 impressive innings out of the bullpen. The Orioles right-hander retired the first nine of 10 batters he faced, striking out the second most hitters (five) in franchise postseason history for a reliever.
Starting pitchers' lines
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Verlander | 5 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Wei-Yin Chen | 3.2 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
Highlights
The defensive play of the game - and perhaps postseason thus far - was this ridiculous diving grab by Ryan Flaherty, who started an impressive 5-4-3 double play that squashed a looming Tigers rally.
The Tigers provided plenty of offensive highlights during a five-run fourth, including J.D. Martinez and Nick Castellanos going back-to-back off Chen.
Meanwhile, the Orioles' early 2-0 lead was nearly negated when officials reviewed Nick Markakis's two-run blast in the third. It held up, giving Markakis his first career postseason homer.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
Quote of the game
#Tigers Chamberlain handles postgame well. "Obviously, this one’s on me, and I’ll wear it."
— Andy Martino (@MartinoNYDN) October 3, 2014
Up Next
Detroit heads home buried in a 2-0 hole and facing elimination. Tigers left-hander David Price - 1.08 WHIP and major league-leading 271 strikeouts - takes the bump opposite right-hander Miguel Gonzalez in Game 3 (3:45 p.m. EST) at Comerica Park on Sunday. One player to keep an eye on will be Tigers outfielder Rajai Davis, who left Friday's game after tweaking his strained groin.