Classic Baseball - Sale too Rich for Tigers

With the acquisition of Chris Sale, I just had to add the 2017 version of the Red Sox to one of my classic roster sets for MLB the Show 16. I have Boston taking on the 1984 Detroit Tigers in an ALDS, and the Red Sox newest ace lived up to the billing in Game 1 at Comerica Park.

Sale went 7.2 strong innings, giving up only one run on five hits while fanning nine Tiger batters. His efforts allowed Boston to cruise to a 7-2 victory. Nineteen game winner and 1984 all-star Jack Morris battled Sale very admirably, tossing 7 innings and allowing only 4 hits and 2 earned runs. It would be the bullpen, more specifically, lefty reliever Bill Scherrer that failed to fool Red Sox hitters. Scherrer was strafed for 4 hits and 4 runs without recording an out in a 5 run eighth that sealed the deal for Boston. Scherrer came over in Detroit from the Reds for a PTBNL and posted a 1.89 ERA in 18 appearances for the '84 world champions. The player that was sent to Cincinnati to complete the trade was none other than current Red Sox pitching coach Carl Willis. Carl would have to wait get his World Series ring with the '91 Twins

Jackie Bradley Jr.'s triple off Morris got things started for Boston in the third inning. He later scored on Dustin Pedroia's ground out to second. Detroit answered right back in the home half of the inning as Kirk Gibson doubled off Sale to lead things off and Tom Brookens followed with a single to score Gibson to tie the game up.

The see-saw affair continued in the fourth as Boston again led off with a triple. This time, Hanley Ramirez did honors and he also scored on an RBI ground out to second by Xander Bogaerts to make the score 2-1.

This game would remain tightly contested until Boston kicked in the door in the eighth off Scherrer. Jackie Bradley Jr.led off with a single, and in two successive sacrifice attempts, Boston ended up getting 2 bunt singles from Andrew Benintendi and Dustin Pedroia to load the bases. AL MVP runner up and Silver Slugger winner Mookie Betts lined a single to left, bringing home two runs. Xander Bogaerts chipped in with an RBI single, and Pablo Sandoval, looking for a fresh start in 2017, drilled a double into left center field to ice this one. Boston sent 9 men to the plate, scoring 5 times on 6 hits for a 7-1 cushion.

Detroit added one run in the ninth on an inside-the-park home run by Kirk Gibson. Jackie Bradley Jr. grossly misplayed the carom off the wall victimizing reliever Carson Smith, who like Sandoval, is also making a bid to return from a lost year in 2016.

Boston will now look to take control of this series sending 2016 CY Young Award winner Rick Porcello up against Detroit's Dan Petry in Game 2.