BOSTON (Reuters) - David Ortiz hit a three-run double in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.
"It feels good, man. We hadn't been able to come back lately," Ortiz told reporters. "It was a game that we weren't able to score some runs with the few opportunities we had.
"We had them making some good pitches and to come back and win feels great."
The Tigers opened a 4-0 lead by the fourth inning but could not escape the relentless Red Sox who had a runner on base in every inning.
Tigers starter Max Scherzer, who benefited from three double plays before leaving after 6-1/3 innings, allowed one run on nine hits, a walk and struck out three.
Tigers reliever Phil Coke took the loss after he gave up two singles then intentionally walked Kevin Youkilis to load the bases. Ortiz then won the game for the home team with a hit to the outfield that cleared the bases.
Tigers catcher Gerald Laird said he had set up for an outside pitch but the ball had gotten away from Coke, who told reporters he "flat out blew it."
"It was supposed to be away and it was middle-in," said Laird. "That allowed him to get his hands in closer on the ball."
Miguel Cabrera had put the Tigers up 2-0 in the first inning launching his 26th home run of the season to also score Will Rhymes, while Jeff Frazier scored in the second and fourth innings, driven-in both times by Ramon Santiago.
The Red Sox reduced the deficit with two runs in the seventh inning as Adrian Beltre scored on an RBI single by rookie Ryan Kalish, who was making his major league debut. Kalish was then brought home on an RBI double by Darnell McDonald.
Red Sox Starter Daisuke Matsuzaka struggled early and allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks in six innings and struck out five batters. Hideki Okajima (4-3) got the win after pitching the ninth.
(Reporting by Mike Mouat in Windsor, Ontario; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
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