The Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox face off at 8 p.m. ET. Listen to all the action online for free as ESPN Radio broadcasts Game 1 of the A.L. Championship Series. The Tigers are in a familiar situation, but they are facing a tough Red Sox team, filled with solid role players. Check out the radio stream provided, but first, let's breakdown this matchup.
On the mound for the Red Sox will be lefty Jon Lester. He was solid at the ending of the regular season and brough the same dominance over the postseason.
Things looked rocky for the Red Sox's ace after allowing two solo shots to the Tampa bay Rays in Game 1 of the ALDS. Down 0-2, the Red Sox went to work, providing more than enough run support for Lester, who cruised through his 7.2 innings pitched where he allowed only two runs on three hits, while striking out seven.
This is the Lester that the Red Sox will need in Game 1 of the ALCS as the Tigers are playing motivated baseball after coming back from a 1-2 series deficit against the Oakland A's. Miguel Cabrera smacked his first home run of the postseason, waking up at the right time for a Tigers' team that was that needed a spark.
Jhonny Peralta has provided a spark since his return from his 50-game suspension. Right behind Victor Martinez, Peralta finished with a .417 average, with one home run and the team-high, five RBI. He also only struck out twice, which proves he's seeing the ball well and making contact. Going back to Martinez, the Tigers' DH leads the team with nine hits in 20 at bats for a .450 batting average. He hit a controversial home run against the A's, his only one of the series, and he's driving in two runs, while scoring five, which is the team high.
Anibal Sanchez, the Tigers' starter, will have a handful to deal with as the Red Sox top of the order has been on fire. Jacoby Ellsbury has a team-high nine hits, followed by Shane Victorino with six and David Ortiz is hitting a scortching .385 with the team's only two homers of the postseason. Worse of all for the Tigers, these three guys have been on base more than half time time, posting OBP's over .526. Victorino has been eating pitches, getting hit four times by Rays' pitching.
Where will the spark come from in the ALCS for both teams? Only one way to find out?
