Detroit Tigers within a win of sweeping Oakland Athletics after 5-4 victory in Game 2 of ALDS

The Tigers moved to the cusp of snuffing out the 'Oakland magic' with a resilient 5-4 victory over the A’s in Game 2 of their AL division series at Comerica Park to take a 2-0 lead. Detroit had to overcome deficits of 1-0, 2-1 and 4-3 before Don Kelly lofted a sacrifice fly to right with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth to score Omar Infante with the game-winner.
The Tigers on Sunday moved to the cusp of snuffing out the “Oakland magic” with a resilient 5-4 victory over the A’s in Game 2 of their AL division series at Comerica Park to take a 2-0 lead. Detroit had to overcome deficits of 1-0, 2-1 and 4-3 before Don Kelly lofted a sacrifice fly to right with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth to score Omar Infante with the game-winner.


But in a game with several enduring images none may be more remembered than Al Alburquerque silencing the Oakland threat in the top of the ninth with the score tied 4-4. The righthander was brought in to face lethal righthand hitter Yoenis Cespedes with two out and runners on the corners. He got the slugger to ground out back to him and kissed the ball before throwing it to first for the.



“I did it because it’s part of the game. I was filled with emotion. It just happened. I don’t know why I did it,” Alburquerque said. “I did it because I did something good and I felt happy. It was the emotion for me.”

Detroit first baseman Prince Fielder said that when he saw the smooch “I thought it was the coolest thing but I didn’t really know what was going on.”

The A’s were not amused. Josh Reddick used words like “immature” and “unprofessional” and Jonny Gomes said “the baseball gods take care of stuff like that.”

The Tigers can close out the series in Game 3 on Tuesday, when they likely will face Oakland’s de facto ace Brett Anderson, out since straining his right oblique Sept. 19. The A’s need to win three straight, but did so last week at home against the Rangers to swipe the AL West title on the season’s final day.


Kelly is far from a household name but the Yankees should remember him well. He hit a two-run homer in the first inning of Detroit’s 3-2 win over the Bombers in the decisive game of last season’s division series. He was designated for assignment in August before returning, but Jim Leyland likes his hard-driving approach and wanted him on the playoff roster.

In the ninth against Grant Balfour, the Tigers got one-out singles from Infante and Miguel Cabrera. Fielder was intentionally walked to get to Kelly, who pinch-ran in the eighth and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game 4-4.

After the winning run scored, Kelly was embraced by Fielder and lifted the giant high off the ground. “That’s adrenaline,” Kelly said. “My whole career has been going up and down (to the minors) and I’m fortunate to have come through for the team in some big situations.

“These are the moments you live for, to be able to help the team and especially with the game on the line.”

Every time Oakland grabbed a lead in the top of an inning, the Tigers answered, though the A’s helped plenty.

Oakland eked out a run with a walk, a sacrifice and a Cliff Pennington RBI single in the top of the seventh for a 2-1 lead. But Detroit scored two runs on a costly error by Coco Crisp. With two out and Austin Jackson and Infante on first and second, Cabrera hit a fly ball to shallow center that Crisp had to race in on. He went for a basket catch and it went off the heel of his glove and popped into the air. He nearly nabbed it on the way down but it rolled off the fingers of his glove and fell as both runners scored for a 3-2 lead.

In the eighth, Cespedes singled, stole second and third and scored on a wild pitch. Reddick hit the next pitch for a homer to right and a 4-3 Oakland lead.

In the bottom half, Kelly scored on the wild pitch, evening things again. The series is far from even now. “We’re up 2-0,” Fielder said. “Yeah, we’ve got a good shot.”