clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

American League Championship Series Game 6 Thread: Tigers @ Red Sox

The Tigers try to force a decisive Game 7 in the American League Championship Series when they play the Red Sox on Saturday night. Likely Cy Young winner Max Scherzer will start against Clay Buchholz in the 8pm game on FOX.

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

It is imperative that the Tigers beat the Red Sox in Game 6, and then Game 7, of the American League Championship Series, because this takes out of play the worst possible outcome from the outset of the postseason: that the Red Sox could win the World Series.

To aid them in this endeavor, they have this season's likely Cy Young winner, Max Scherzer, and then if necessary, tomorrow, former Cy Young winner Justin Verlander. All civilized people must hope that the whole likely-Cy Young-winner-starts-a-road-Game 6 plan works out better for the Tigers than it did for the Dodgers.

Guess who on the Red Sox has seen the most of Scherzer, and also has the best career numbers against him? That's right, it's your favorite vandal and mine, David Ortiz. In 21 plate appearances against Scherzer, he has homered three times. Don't eat anything tonight that you don't want to throw up later, in the inevitable moment where Ortiz does something good and all baseball media rushes to immediately enshrine him into Cooperstown, given that he is essentially the only player who was linked to steroids who gets a free pass in such discussions.

Also, if Scherzer could go ahead and pitch a complete game, that would be great, because I'd like to avoid having to see even a single Tigers reliever at any point in time.


BOSTON RED SOX DETROIT TIGERS
Jacoby Ellsbury (L) - CF Torii Hunter (R) - RF
Shane Victorino (S) - RF Miguel Cabrera (R) - 3B
Dustin Pedroia (R) - 2B Prince Fielder (L) - 1B
David Ortiz (L) - DH Victor Martinez (S) - DH
Mike Napoli (R) - 1B Jhonny Peralta (R) - LF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia (S) - C Alex Avila (L) - C
Jonny Gomes (R) - LF Omar Infante (R) - 2B
Stephen Drew (L) - SS Austin Jackson (R) - CF
Xander Bogaerts (R) - 3B Jose Iglesias (R) - SS