Two Games Played Tonight

The first featured excellent pitching on both sides.

Brendan McCarthy and two Athletics relievers gave the Tigers six hits through eight. Rick Porcello allowed one run and seven hits. Alfredo Albuquerque, in his Show debut, retired the first six hitters he faced and fanned three before issuing a walk. Miguel Cabrera homered in the ninth, and the game went into extra innings tied at one.

Then, the wheels came off the A's wagon, and almost did for the Tigers.

The top of the tenth recap reads like a John Grisham novel. Three A's errors, three hits and seven runs for the Tigers, 13 batters to the plate, one pitching change, four confabs on the mound, one visit to the kitchen for refreshments.

In the bottom tenth, the first three A's hitters singeled off Bryan Villareal. Joaquin Benoit came in to restore order. When Davd DeJesus singled in two, a sense of pending doom filled the second floor baseball bunker. Josh Willingham grounded out, and Jim Leyland had his 1500th win as a major league manager.

Good and wonderful things continue to happen after midnight.