Here’s an updated look at Red Sox and Tigers hitters’ lifetime batting performance vs tonight’s starters. These tables now include the performance of the teams through all ALCS games.

There was no hooting and hollering at RSNStats world headquarters Thursday night. Instead, just satisfaction as the Red Sox beat the Tigers 4-3 to take a 3-games-to-2 lead in the American League Championship Series. Satisfaction with a key win, with taking 2-of-3 at Comerica, with the improved Boston offense, and with the knowledge that we head back to home-field advantage where the team went an AL-best 53-28 in the regular season.

For a 2nd night in a row the Red Sox had double-digit hits vs the vaunted Tigers pitching staff, including 2 each Thursday for Dustin Pedroia and David Ross and a 3-for-4 night, including the memorable and monster home run, by Mike Napoli. He now leads the club (among players with 10+ at-bats) with a .375 series batting average, going 6-for-16 with 2 doubles and 2 home runs.

And while the Tigers Jose Iglesias, playing with an almost visible chip on his shoulder, reminded Red Sox fans why they loved his defense from the start, new Boston phenom Xander Bogaerts became, at 21 years and 16 days old, the youngest Red Sox player to start in a postseason game, topping none other than Babe Ruth, who was 21 years and 246 days old in Game 2 of the 1916 World Series. [Read more…]

Here’s an updated look at Red Sox and Tigers hitters’ lifetime batting performance vs tonight’s starters. These tables now include the performance of the teams in ALCS Game 1.