Orioles 7, Tigers 6
Delmon Young delivered a bases-clearing pinch-hit double as host Baltimore exploded for four runs in the eighth inning to stun Detroit and take a 2-0 lead in their American League Division Series.
The Tigers' bullpen, which gave up eight runs in the eighth inning in Thursday’s 12-3 loss in Game 1, could not hold a three-run lead as Joba Chamberlain hit a batter and surrendered back-to-back singles to plate a run before being lifted. Joakim Soria (0-1) came on and walked J.J. Hardy to load the bases for Young, who sent a drive to left that J.D. Martinez bobbled slightly, giving Hardy just enough time to sneak a hook slide past catcher Alex Avila for the go-ahead run.
Nick Markakis homered and Hardy had an RBI single for the Orioles while Brad Brach (1-0) earned the win in relief and Zach Britton worked the ninth for the save. J.D. Martinez hit a three-run homer, Nick Castellanos added a solo blast and Victor Martinez drove in a pair for Detroit, which hosts Game 3 on Sunday.
Markakis’ lined shot off the top of a pole coming off the bullpen gate in the third held up on review and gave Baltimore a 2-0 lead. Wei-Yin Chen cruised through the first three innings but allowed a leadoff single to Torii Hunter in the fourth and Miguel Cabrera followed with a double before Victor Martinez’s single cut the deficit in half.
J.D. Martinez, who was part of back-to-back home runs in Game 1 as well, drove a first-pitch slider out to left to give the Tigers a 4-2 lead, and Castellanos ripped the next pitch out to left as Baltimore scrambled to get the bullpen going. Victor Martinez tacked on a run with an RBI double in the eighth and Steve Pearce’s RBI single cut it back to a two-run gap before Soria came on.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Tigers RHP Justin Verlander lasted five-plus innings and was charged with three runs on six hits. He walked Jonathan Schoop in the fifth, ending a string of 83 straight batters without issuing a free pass. … Detroit CF Rajai Davis (abdominal) left the game in the fourth inning and is day-to-day. … Chen was charged with five runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 frames and Orioles DH Nelson Cruz singled twice to improve to 4-for-8 in the series.