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Rangers eye 3-0 lead, as ALCS shifts to Comerica Park

Oct 11, 2011 - 2:24 PM (Sports Network) - The Detroit Tigers called upon Doug Fister to extend their season in the American League Division Series. They may now need him to save it, as the American League Championship Series against the Texas Rangers shifts to Comerica Park for Game 3.

After giving up six runs in 4 2/3 frames and getting the loss in the suspended Game 1 ALDS affair, Fister redeemed himself with a terrific showing in Thursday's Game 5, as he held the potent New York Yankees lineup to just a run and five hits in five innings to help the Tigers nail down a series win.

"It'll be nice pitching in front of our fans back home," Fister said. "We have a great atmosphere back there. After seeing our fan base, especially in the playoffs, it's an incredible feeling to stand up and look in the crowd and see everybody waving their white towels and being up, screaming on their feet. I'm looking forward to pitching in that atmosphere."

Fister was huge down the stretch for the AL Central champion Tigers, as he went 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) after being picked up from Seattle.

"Obviously, when we made the trade, he was kind of under the radar," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "We knew we were getting a good pitcher. I'd be lying if I said we thought he would be this good."

Fister split his two starts with the Rangers this season and pitched to a 3.68 ERA. He beat them the last time he faced them and is 2-3 with a 4.38 ERA in six starts against them.

The Tigers were dealt a heartbreaking loss in Monday's Game 2, as Nelson Cruz belted the first walkoff grand slam in postseason history in the bottom of the 11th to give Texas a 7-3 win.

Cruz, whose solo homer in Game 1 was the difference in a 3-2 win, sent Ryan Perry's 1-2 slider into the left field seats and celebrated the blast in a mob at home plate with his teammates.

"It was amazing," said Cruz, who also ripped a game-tying solo homer in the seventh inning and was hit on the right arm by a pitch in the ninth.

Cruz's homer in the seventh inning chased Tigers starter Max Scherzer from the game. Perry (0-1) was the fifth pitcher used by a Detroit team now tasked with trying to climb out of an 0-2 hole without injured outfielder Magglio Ordonez.

"Obviously, it's a horrible feeling," Perry said. "You feel like you let down your whole team."

Mike Adams (1-0) worked around a single in the 11th to earn the win.

Ryan Raburn's three-run homer in the third inning gave the Tigers the lead, but the AL Central champs didn't cross the plate again.

"It's been a great two games," said Leyland. "It didn't go the right way, obviously. They earned it, and we didn't quite get it done.

"We haven't been able to come up with any big hits. That's really hard. We've had some opportunities, but up to this point, we just haven't been able to do that."

Now Detroit will try to get untracked against righty Colby Lewis, a pitcher who has yet to lose in the playoffs in his career.

Lewis' postseason prowess continued in his Game 3 ALDS start versus the Tampa Bay Rays last Monday, as he allowed just one hit - a solo home run - over six innings to nail down the win. The victory upped his postseason mark to 4-0 to go along with a 1.67 ERA in five starts.

"You know, for me, I think it's just October, it's either win or go home," Lewis said after his ALDS win.

Detroit, though, roughed Lewis up in two starts this season, reaching him for 13 earned runs in 7 1/3 innings. For his career Lewis is 2-2 with a 7.48 ERA in six games, five of which have been starts.

"You don't really worry about anything in the past," he said. "Once it's over, it's done with, you just walk in the dugout and forget about it and move forward and prepare yourself for the next day."

These teams have never met in the playoffs, but the Tigers won six of their nine regular season matchups against the Rangers.