El Tigre' Bueno!

Story by Jack Curry - NY Times

Alexis Gómez, a rookie who was designated for assignment twice by the Tigers this season, had a homer, a single and knocked in four runs as Detroit stifled the Oakland Athletics, 8-5, in the second game of the American League Championship Series.

Behind Gómez, the Tigers grabbed a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and scooted to within two victories of their first World Series since 1984. The Tigers, who played miserably at the end of the regular season, have won five straight playoff games.

Gómez, a left-handed batter, started at designated hitter because Sean Casey, another left-handed hitter, is out with a torn muscle in his left calf. Manager Jim Leyland switched shortstop Carlos Guillén to first and put Neifi Pérez at short. But Leyland still wanted more help from the left side against the right-hander Esteban Loaiza, so he pulled Gómez out of the corner of the dugout.

Leyland and Tigers catcher Iván Rodríguez joked how Gómez hit what seemed like 500-foot home runs in batting practice. But Leyland was serious when he took a chance by starting Gómez.

Leyland’s hunch proved magical and provided memorable results. When Gómez batted with the bases loaded and the score tied in the fourth, he chopped a ball that hit near the lip of the infield grass and zoomed at third baseman Eric Chavez. The ball hit off Chavez’s glove and squirted into left field, allowing two runs to score and putting the Tigers ahead, 5-3.

Two innings later, Gómez took a more muscular route to driving in a pair of runs, drilling a two-out homer to right-center field. There must have been fans at McAfee Coliseum staring at their scorecards and wondering who Gómez was and why he was playing. The fans might have also wondered how a player who had six runs batted in all season had damaged the A’s so badly.

“We didn’t have a whole lot on him,” Oakland Manager Ken Macha said.

Justin Verlander allowed base runners in five of the six innings he pitched, but he was better than Loaiza and that was enough to enable him to win. Verlander gave up four runs in five and one-third innings, while Loaiza surrendered seven runs in six innings. Milton Bradley homered twice for the A’s, who must win two of the three games scheduled in Detroit to avoid elimination.