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Nick Markakis hit a big homer early and Delmon Young delivered a pinch-hit, three-run double in the eighth inning as the Baltimore Orioles rallied for a 7-6 win over the Detroit Tigers in Game 2 of the ALDS on Friday. The O's now lead the series 2-0 as things head to the Motor City for Game 3 on Sunday.
Baltimore entered the eighth inning trailing 6-3, but strung together a number of hits before bringing Young to the plate with the bases loaded. He came through with a line drive to left field, turning a two-run deficit into a one-run lead with a single swing:
The big play completed a four-run inning after the Tigers went ahead early.
Coming off a record-setting Game 1, the Orioles again took an early lead Friday on a two-run homer from Markakis in the third inning. Justin Verlander struggled with his efficiency in the game, and at that point, Detroit badly needing a spark to get things going.
It came in the very next frame, as the Tigers exploded in the top of the fourth inning for five runs off Baltimore starter Wei-Yin Chen. All five Tigers crossed the plate before a single out was recorded: a Torii Hunter single and Miguel Cabrera double set up Victor Martinez for an RBI single, then J.D. Martinez and Nick Castellanos hit back-to-back home runs. Just like that, it was 5-2, Detroit.
The Orioles responded in the bottom of the fourth by getting a two-out RBI single from J.J. Hardy, but Verlander avoided any major issues and got through five innings with just three runs allowed. Baltimore made things tough on the former Cy Young winner, who needed 101 pitches to get through the outing.
Detroit got some insurance in the eighth inning on an RBI double from Martinez, but there could've been even more damage. Cabrera was thrown out at the plate on the play, bailing Kevin Gausman out of giving up a second run. Gausman did pitch well in relief of Chen, though, allowing one run and striking out five over 3.1 innings of work.
The Tigers could've used that extra run badly, as the very next frame saw their three-run lead evaporate. Now Detroit's season is on the brink, and it all pretty much happened in a matter of minutes.
The series now heads to Detroit tied at 1-1 with David Price and Miguel Gonzalez set to take the mound. When the Tigers acquired the former Cy Young winner from Tampa Bay earlier this year, it was for situations like Game 3, so we'll see if the lefty can top Gonzalez, who was one of the hotter pitchers in the AL during the second half of the season.