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Detroit dropped the first two games in Texas before turning to Fister, who won the decisive fifth game of the division series at Yankee Stadium last week. The former Mariner was sharp again, allowing two runs and seven hits with no walks in 7 innings.
“Just stick with the same game plan,” Fister said. “They hit a few groundballs that made it through the holes, and good hitters do. They came out firing and Alex (Avila, catcher) and I just stuck with the game plan and used our defense. Tremendous plays out there, and you know that’s the name of the game.”
Jose Valverde, after pitching a season-high two innings the day before, worked around a leadoff double in the ninth for his third playoff save. He got some help from Cabrera, who made a diving play at first base.
“It’s going to be a long series,” Cabrera said. “Nobody (said) it’s going to be easy. You’ve got to be patient.”
Cabrera’s double in the fifth put the Tigers ahead 2-1, and he added a towering solo homer in the seventh.
Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta also went deep for the Tigers. Austin Jackson broke out of his postseason slump with three hits, including an RBI single.
Texas right-hander Colby Lewis, who entered 4-0 in five postseason starts, allowed four runs and eight hits in 52/3 innings. He struck out six and walked two.
“He throws strikes, and every now and then he’s going to give up some long balls. I thought it was a pretty good ballgame,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “He kept us in the ballgame. It was Fister that did the job out there tonight.”
The Tigers fell behind 1-0 when Fister allowed three consecutive singles to start the game, but the 6-foot-8 right-hander held the Rangers in check after that, striking out Game 2 hero Nelson Cruz to end the seventh as the towel-waving crowd at Comerica Park roared.
After leaving 22 runners on base in the first two games, the Tigers struggled early against Lewis. Detroit had two on with one out in the second, but Avila and Ryan Raburn struck out.
Lewis struck out five in the first three innings, but Martinez led off the fourth with a homer to right to tie it at 1.
Martinez, who hit .330 this season despite groin, knee and back problems, appeared to hurt himself on his home run swing, laboring slowly around the bases after the ball cleared the fence. When he returned to the dugout, his head still down, he slammed his helmet as he descended the steps toward the clubhouse.
Detroit was already playing without injured outfielders Delmon Young, Magglio Ordoñez and Brennan Boesch, and it wasn’t clear whether Martinez – the designated hitter – would be able to continue. But he was back in the fifth, standing near the on-deck circle with Cabrera at the plate.
With runners at first and third and two outs, Texas decided to pitch to Cabrera, and his line drive down the right-field line stayed fair for a double to drive in a run.
“I’m not going to take another runner and put him at second base. The winning run is already at third base,” Washington said. “We tried to make a pitch. Colby didn’t get it there. Cabrera caught it.”
Martinez drew a walk, loading the bases for Don Kelly, who hit a check-swing grounder to third. Adrian Beltre fielded the ball, then paused and waited to tag Cabrera. When the Detroit baserunner froze in his tracks, Beltre finally backpedaled toward the bag for the force to end the inning.
Beltre fouled a ball off his left knee in the fourth and hobbled the rest of the night. X-rays were negative, and he has a bruise.
Detroit added two runs in the sixth. Peralta led off with a homer, and Jackson’s RBI single made it 4-1.
Detroit provided more than enough offense for Fister, who was terrific down the stretch after the Tigers acquired him in a trade with Seattle shortly before the July 31 deadline.
