Detroit @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 13, 2011 ) Texas 5, Detroit 7

THE STORY: The Detroit Tigers are alive and optimistic but the Texas Rangers lead the series 3-2 and have the home-field advantage when the two squads meet in Saturday’s Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. Detroit staved off elimination with Thursday’s 7-5 victory and received good fortune when a potential double-play ball hit by Miguel Cabrera clipped the third-base bag and caromed down the left-field line for the go-ahead double during a four-run uprising. Nelson Cruz has five homers in the series for Texas, which needs to win just one of the final two games to advance to the World Series for the second straight season.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, Fox.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Max Scherzer (0-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Derek Holland (0-0, 10.13 ERA)

Scherzer received a no-decision in Game 2 when he allowed three runs in six-plus innings and was pulled after Cruz blasted a game-tying homer off of him. It was the first homer he allowed in the postseason after giving up 29 during the regular season.

Holland lasted just 2 2/3 innings in Game 2 and gave up a three-homer to Ryan Raburn. He allowed four hits and four walks. Holland won 10 of his last 11 regular-season decisions but has given up 11 hits and six walks in nine postseason innings.

ABOUT THE TIGERS: Detroit slammed four homers in Game 5 with Delmon Young hitting two and driving in three runs. Young is 6-for-12 with two homers against Holland. Raburn and Alex Avila also homered. Friday’s day of rest should serve the Tigers well as both closer Jose Valverde and set-up man Joaquin Benoit were unavailable in Game 5 after pitching the previous three days. Phil Coke recorded the final five outs for his first postseason save after Justin Verlander pitched 7 1/3 solid innings.

ABOUT THE RANGERS: Cruz is the first player to hit five homers in a League Championship Series and the fifth player to hit five in any postseason series. He also has 11 RBIs, tied for most in ALCS history with David Ortiz and B.J. Upton. Josh Hamilton is struggling with a groin injury and hasn’t homered in 37 postseason at-bats. Michael Young had two hits in Game 5 after going 2-for-17 over the first four games.

FINAL PITCH: Detroit became the first team in postseason history to have four consecutive batters hit for a team cycle during the Game 5 victory. Raburn singled, Cabrera doubled, Victor Martinez tripled and Young homered during the four-run sixth inning.