It appears as if Boston Red Sox reliever Brad Ziegler (L, 0-1) is not invincible on the Fenway Park mound after all.
Miguel Cabrera concludes Brad Ziegler's scoreless streak with Boston
After allowing just one hit over his first 6.2 innings of scoreless ball with the Red Sox after being acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier this month, Ziegler's run of superhuman status came to an end with two outs in the ninth inning in Boston's 4-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday afternoon. Facing potentially the most dominant hitter of the past decade in Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera, the side-arm pitcher served up a meatball with the game tied. The .301 hitter obliged, smacking his 21st home run of the season to the opposite field and off of the right field wall for the go-ahead tally for Detroit, leading his team to a three-game series sweep in Beantown.
With the loss, the Red Sox become the final team to suffer a series sweep in 2016 while losing their fifth game out of the last six. The team finishes off their tumultuous nine-game homestand with a 4-5 record, having dropped to third place in the AL East, three games behind the leading Baltimore Orioles. Detroit, on the other hand, crept within just 2.5 games of the Red Sox for the second Wild Card slot with the victory, locking up their fifth win in seven games, all of which have come away from Comerica Park.
Michael Fulmer turns in another strong start
The Tigers received yet another strong outing from starting pitcher Michael Fulmer, who leads the American League in ERA, WHIP, and opponent OPS since May 21. Receiving the no-decision, Fulmer allowed just three runs on seven hits over 7.2 solid innings of work, striking out three and walking none as his ERA now stands at an AL-best 2.50.
On the other side of the mound, Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez lessened his ERA to 5.81 while striking out six, yet still only lasted 5.1 innings while yielding nine hits, three walks, and three runs. Former Red Sox Victor Martinez led Detroit with a 4-for-4, two-RBI outing, while Cabrera went 3-for-4 with the game-winning solo shot.
Tigers battle back from early deficit for series sweep
For Boston, not a single player garnered a multi-hit game, although the team did go a porous 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, a trend that has haunted the squad over the past week. Second baseman Dustin Pedroia jumpstarted the Red Sox offense with a solo home run in the first inning, his 11th of the season, however, Fulmer faced only nine batters in the following three innings.
This allowed Detroit to grab hold of the lead. Second baseman Ian Kinsler reached on an infield single with one out in the third and advanced into scoring position on a double by shortstop Jose Iglesias in the subsequent at-bat. After Rodriguez intentionally walked Cabrera to load the bases, Martinez inflicted damage, knocking a two-RBI single to left to give his team a 2-1 lead.
This advantage would multiply in the top of the sixth inning, as catcher James McCann, a .195 hitter on the season, toasted his sixth home run of the season with one down. The solo shot traveled 410 feet on top of the Green Monster seats, putting a damper on an otherwise strong start by Rodriguez.
The Red Sox would not be denied of a comeback, however. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts began the bottom of the seventh inning by smacking his 12th home run of the season 378 feet to left center, slicing the lead in half. Then, with two outs in the eighth inning and catcher Sandy Leon standing on first base after a single, right fielder Mookie Betts hammered a RBI triple to the triangle in deep center field to tie the ballgame.
Betts appeared to have the opportunity to round third and attempt to score on an inside-the-park home run, however, Red Sox third base coach Brian Butterfield opted to halt him at third base as Kinsler fielded the relay throw from center fielder Tyler Collins. Pedroia proceeded to strike out in the ensuing at-bat facing Tigers flamethrower Jose Rondon (W, 4-2), however, and Cabrera's deciding blast sealed the devastating sweep of Boston.