Sox Score Early--Pen Makes It Count

Well, tonight, for the first time in the ALCS, the Sox not only scored first, they had a big inning. Sending eight men to the plate, they started off with a missile to dead center by Nap that stopped flying when it was 460+/- feet away and well beyond the fence--one zip, Sox. As the progression of Sox batters continued, they added on another three runs, just missing a fourth when Ross tried to score by colliding with the Bengals' catcher--just sheer brute force. The Tigers player managed to hold the ball for the out, but he was injured enough so that he had to leave the game a couple of innings later, being replaced by Pena, who was not as good. This would help the Hose as things moved on. The Sox added a fourth run in the following inning on a wild pitch from Sanchez, making their lead four-zip. Sanchez wasn't bad; he just wasn't even close to what he'd been in Game 1. The lead stayed there as the game progressed through one more inning, but in the 5th the Tigers broke through, getting a single run. They duplicated this output twice more in the following two innings, leaving the score at 4-3, Sox after seven. From there on out it was the Sox pen against the very potent Tigers lineup. First Tazawa gave up the Tigers' third run, but limited the damage by getting Cabrera to ground into a no outs, men on the corners DP that effectively ended that threat. This was the third Sox DP of the night. Tazawa had induced an equally amazing DP the previous inning with two men on, and a run in to end that inning. In the 7th with the two from the DP gone, Breslow came on and got Fielder to harmlessly ground out. He duplicated this feat with Martinez leading off the 8th, and then gave way to Uehara, who would go for a rare five out save.
KU wasted no time in KO'ing the Tigers, getting K's on both batters he faced in the 8th. After a Sox threat in the top of the 9th to add insurance came for naught, KU continued his KO by setting down the three Tigers batters he faced in the 9th, thus simultaneously avoiding having to face Hunter and Cabrera with men on, and slamming the door on the Tigers. Sox go home up three games to two. Bucky is set to face Scherzer on Saturday, and IF necessary, Lackey will face Verlander in what would be the Sunday finale.
Sox heroes tonight: the team. Special emphasis goes to Nap, for a three hit night, starting with his shot and followed by a ground rule double, Ross, who was two for three and Pedey who also had a pair of hits. Jake gets mention even though he was 1-4, as he maximized the results of that. He picked an early ribbie in the important 2d inning and later on added a pair of swipes, his 5th and 6th of the post season.