Post-season Gameday Thread, #9: ALDS alone

Dan Straily RHP, 10-8, 3.96

Doug Fister LHP, 14-9, 3.67

2:07pm Arizona time, TBS. Oakland leads 2-1.
Oakland have the chance to clinch on the road, having taken the advantage in the series yesterday, using a trio of home-runs to defeat AL earned-run average champion, Anibal Sanchez. That was particularly impressive, since Sanchez allowed only nine long-balls all season, in 182 innings of work - he gave up more yesterday afternoon, than over the entire months of June and July combined. There was a bit of a yelling match between A's closer Grant Balfour and the Tigers' Victor Martinez in the ninth, but given the "win or die" nature of the game for Detroit, I doubt there'll be any significant carry-over.

Jake Peavy RHP, 12-5, 4.17

Jeremy Hellickson RHP, 12-10. 5.17

5:37pm Arizona time. TBS. Red Sox lead 2-1.
Ah, AL baseball. In which a nine-inning game that ends 5-4, can still take four hours and 19 minutes - as a yardstick, our 16-inning marathon against the Pirates, lasted only 20 minutes longer than that. Still, there was no shortage of late drama, the Rays pulling ahead in the eighth, blowing the lead in the ninth, only to win it on a walkoff homer by backup catcher Jose Lobaton. The win was the third straight elimination game victory for Tampa, following the play-in and AL wild-card contests, but they still need to keep going, and must win this evening to force a decisive Game 5 back in Boston on Thursday afternoon.