Detroit, MI – The Detroit Tigers took advantage of Boston's errors in the eighth inning to beat the Red Sox, 7-5, and win the four-game series at Comerica Park.
Avisail Garcia hit a routine fly ball in the eighth to right fielder Daniel Nava, who appeared to make the catch but failed to transfer the ball to his throwing hand.
"Sometimes calls go your way, sometimes they don't. That was the case," Nava said.
Bryan Holaday dropped down a sacrifice bunt and Boston reliever Andrew Miller's (0-2) throw pulled Mike Napoli off first. An Austin Jackson walk loaded the bases and Torii Hunter hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Garcia and give the Tigers a 5-4 lead. Prince Fielder's two-run single to left wound up being the difference.
Newly appointed closer Joaquin Benoit (2-0) recorded the last out of the eighth and secured the victory despite allowing a run in the ninth.
Fielder had two hits with three RBI, while Miguel Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta each added an RBI.
"Anytime you beat the leading team in the (AL) East three out of four, that's pretty good," said Detroit manager Jim Leyland.
After losing his closing duties, the struggles of Andrew Bailey continued but this time they came in the seventh. Out of the three batters he faced, he allowed two singles and was relieved by Miller. Fielder slapped a single to load the bases. With an 0-2 count and two outs, Miller plunked Peralta in the knee to tie the game at 4-4.
Walking two batters ahead of Cabrera to start the first inning probably isn't the best idea. Cabrera made Felix Doubront pay with a ground-rule double to center, scoring Jackson. Fielder's groundout to first allowed Hunter to cross the plate for an early 2-0 Tigers lead.
Boston answered in the second to knot the game at 2-2. Napoli singled and Stephen Drew worked a walk with one out. Ryan Lavarnway's RBI single up the middle scored Napoli. After Jose Iglesias was hit with a curveball, Jacoby Ellsbury's sacrifice fly to center tied the game.
The Tigers reclaimed the lead in the home second. A passed ball off catcher Lavarnway's glove allowed Holaday to score from third.
Dustin Pedroia beat out an infield single to open the third and David Ortiz singled to right field, which moved Pedroia to third. Napoli grounded into a force out to bring in Pedroia with the tying run.
The Red Sox took the lead in the fourth after Lavarnway walked to start the inning and Ellsbury doubled with one out. Shane Victorino's groundout gave Boston a 4-3 lead.
Game Notes
Red Sox manager John Farrell was ejected in the eighth for arguing the Nava call ... Detroit starter Justin Verlander went five innings, yielding four runs on seven hits ... Pedroia snapped an 0-for-16 streak against Verlander in the third ... Boston finished 2-for-14 with runner in scoring position ... Doubront surrendered three runs -- two earned -- in five frames.
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