Editor’s note: Starting Monday, March 23, NESN will re-air memorable games from the Boston Red Sox’s World Series runs. Up next is Game 3 of the 2013 American League Championship Series vs. the Detroit Tigers. Get the full schedule by clicking here.
Offense was hard to come by for the Boston Red Sox early in the 2013 American League Championship Series.
Outside of David Ortiz’s unforgettable grand slam in Game 2, the Detroit Tigers’ starting pitching staff held Boston at bay over the first few games. However, thanks to some clutch hitting and tremendous pitching, the Sox were able to take a 2-1 series lead after Game 3.
Heroics from Mike Napoli, John Lackey and the entire Boston bullpen highlighted Game 3 in Detroit. You can watch a rebroadcast of that game Friday night at 6 p.m. ET on NESN.
Before tuning in, however, here are five things you may have forgotten about that game.
1. More power
Perhaps it was fitting that in Tim “The Toolman” Taylor’s home state, we had a power outage to begin the ALCS in Detroit. Game 3 at Comerica Park was actually delayed 17 minutes in the bottom of the second inning due to a power outage. That came roughly eight months after the Super Bowl blackout in New Orleans. Power outages were all the rage in 2013.
2. Big-game John
Lackey impressed in his first postseason start with the Red Sox against Tampa Bay in the division round. He was even better in Game 3 against the Tigers. The former Angels ace pitched the best game of his Red Sox career — at least up until that point. Lackey shut down the Detroit defense, going 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and walking none in the pivotal start. Making Lackey’s start even more impressive was the fact he actually outdueled future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner went eight innings, allowing just four hits and striking out 10, adding to the impressive run of starting pitching from Detroit — but he had one critical blemish on the night.
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3. Bearded blast
As soon as Napoli made contact with Verlander’s 96 mph fastball, the Tigers ace knew he made a mistake. A disgusted Verlander could hardly watch as Napoli walloped his 3-2 offering with one out in the top of the seventh. The Red Sox first baseman got every last piece of the pitch, sending it over the wall in left-center.
4. Outmuscling Miggy
The biggest spot of the game came in the bottom of the eighth inning when Miguel Cabrera, who was weeks away from winning his second straight AL MVP, came to the plate with a runner on third and just one out. Detroit at least tying the game felt inevitable in that situation. On the mound for Boston was right-hander Junichi Tazawa in the biggest moment of his career. The fearless Tazawa went right after Cabrera with four straight fastballs, getting the over-eager Cabrera to chase a 94 mph heater off the plate.
5. Koji time
Tazawa gave way to Koji Uehara, who came on after the Cabrera strikeout to face Prince Fielder. The hefty first baseman, who averaged 111 RBIs over the past seven seasons, was still very much a threat to drive in the tying run. Not on Uehara’s watch, though, as he got Fielder swinging on one of the prettiest split-finger fastballs you will ever see. The four-out save marked Uehara’s fourth straight appearance after taking the loss in Game 2 of the ALDS. His numbers in those four games: 4 2/3 innings, three hits, no runs, seven strikeouts.
