The Red Sox defeated the Tigers 4-3 to go ahead in the 2013 ALCS 3-2. Here are your moving pictures from Game 5.
It all began with way too much stress for the Red Sox. A very shaky first saw Lester allow a walk and two singles. Usually that's good for a run, but Miguel Cabrera is slow, the hit was opportunely placed for Boston, and Tom Brookens pulled a Bogar:
We head to the top of the second, where things went rather better for Boston. We're talking MikeNapoli460FootHomer.gif better:
Yeah, he kind of got ahold of that one. It would be the start of a three-run inning for the Red Sox, with Xander Bogaerts and David Ross doubling and scoring behind him. Napoli would add on a fourth run in the third thanks to a ground rule double and passed ball, but it could have been more if Jose Iglesias had not proven once and for all that he is a witch and must be burned:
That would have been a David Ortiz single, and likely a fifth run Red Sox fans would have really appreciated down the stretch.
While the Red Sox would not score again in Game 5, that did not keep Mike Napoli from reaching base once more, and asserting his dominance over first-base coach Arnie Beyeler with a vicious attack:
That'll teach him to push in on Mike Napoli's territory at first! Guy looks like a nerd, anyways. David Price knows.
Ahem, moving on...
The fourth and fifth innings would provide some good ol' fashioned heart attack material for Red Sox fans thanks to Jon Lester. First in putting two men on with one out in the fourth, second in nearly throwing wide of Stephen Drew in starting a double play that ended said inning, and third in nearly botching this sacrifice bunt from Jose Iglesias:
The Tigers would score one run in that inning. Had Lester not made that play, we might not be quite so happy today.
Still, Detroit chipped away one run at a time, bringing the score to 4-3 headed to the ninth. That's when one of the weirder plays of the game occured. With Will Middlebrooks pinch running for Xander Bogaerts at first (Bogaerts had fallen behind 0-2 before drawing the walk), David Ross laid down a sacrifice bunt sending Will first to second, and then on to third when he noticed the bag wasn't being covered. Backup catcher Brayan Pena tried to get to third in time, then went for an off backhanded tag going across the bag instead of in front of it. This was the result:
Man, if any umpire is getting tagged out, it should be Joe West.
Thankfully, the play did not end up mattering. The Red Sox failed to bring Middlebrooks home, with Shane Victorino pulling a Pedroia (no, nevermind, let's not make that a thing) and chasing a pitch that bounced home for strike three. But more importantly, because the Tigers didn't do a single thing against the impeccable Koji Uehara in the ninth, leaving the Red Sox 4-3 winners.