Boston @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 15, 2013 ) Boston 1, Detroit 0

The Boston Red Sox have scored in just four innings of the American League Championship Series but can take a 3-1 series lead if they can topple the host Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night. Boston’s Mike Napoli homered off Justin Verlander for the lone run in Game 3 and it gave the Red Sox consecutive wins, counting their epic Game 2 comeback. The Tigers’ pitchers have accumulated 43 strikeouts, a record through three games of a Championship Series.

Two of the first three games were decided by 1-0 scores, a stunner considering Boston and Detroit were the two highest-scoring teams in the majors in the regular season. “The runs are pretty stingy,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “This is what it’s about in postseason – good pitching.” Boston is batting just .133 in the series, the lowest mark through three games in Championship Series history. Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz is 1-for-10 with the hit being his memorable game-tying grand slam in Game 2.

TV: 8:07 p.m. ET, Fox

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Jake Peavy (12-5, 4.17 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Doug Fister (14-9, 3.67)

Peavy hasn’t won a postseason game in his career but did pitch a solid 5 2/3 innings – giving up one run and five hits – in the AL Division Series against Tampa Bay to lower his postseason ERA to 8.22. He is 4-5 with a 4.83 ERA in 12 career starts against the Tigers, winning his lone outing this season against Detroit as a member of the Chicago White Sox. Peavy is 1-3 with a 4.15 ERA in five career outings at Comerica Park.

Fister received a no-decision in his ALDS outing against Oakland, allowing three runs and seven hits in six innings. He tossed seven innings of four-hit shutout ball to beat Boston on Sept. 2 but was pounded for six runs and 11 hits in 3 1/3 innings June 21. Fister is 2-4 with a 4.36 ERA in eight career starts against the Red Sox.

WALK-OFFS

1. Detroit starters Anibal Sanchez, Max Scherzer and Verlander combined to allow two runs and six hits with 35 strikeouts over 21 innings.

2. Napoli broke out of a slump with his sixth career postseason homer – he’s 3-for-21 with 10 strikeouts in the 2013 postseason.

3. Tigers DH Victor Martinez suffered a quadriceps injury in the ninth but expects to play in Game 4. He is 4-for-11 in the series.

PREDICTION: Tigers 5, Red Sox 3