Here’s a look at lifetime batting stats for both teams vs tonight’s ALCS Game 4 starters:

What seemed unlikely turned us euphoric. An improbable late inning grand slam home run by David Ortiz tied things up 5-5 in the 8th inning. A few notes on that home run:

• It was David Ortiz’ 15th postseason home run, his 12th career grand slam, and his 1st in the postseason. Ortiz’ last grand slam was June 20, 2012 vs the Marlins.
• 11 of Ortiz’ 12 grand slam home runs have been at Fenway Park.
• Sunday’s was the 55th postseason grand slam home run in baseball since 1903 and the 1st since Giants Buster Posey’s in NLDS Game 5 on October 11, 2012 vs the Reds.
• It was only the 3rd postseason grand slam to tie the game.
• It was the 5th postseason grand slam hit by a DH and the 1st since Yankees Ricky Ledee in the top of the 9th inning of Game 4 of the 1999 ALCS off Red Sox pitcher Rod Beck (October 17, 1999).
• There have now been four Boston postseason grand slams since 1916:
  • The last Red Sox grand slam in the postseason was JD Drew’s in the bottom of the first inning of Game 6 of the 2007 ALCS vs the Indians (October 20, 2007). Until tonight it was the only one at Fenway Park.
  • Johnny Damon in the top of the 2nd inning of Game 7 of the  2004 ALCS vs the Yankees (October 20, 2004)
  • Troy O’Leary in the top of the 3rd of Game 5 of the 1999 ALDS vs the Indians (October 11, 1999)
• The Ortiz slam Sunday was the 9th-ever postseason grand slam coming in the 8th inning or later and the first since Rangers Nelson Cruz’ in Game 2 of 2011 ALCS vs the Tigers (October 10, 2011). Coming in the 11th inning, Cruz’ slam has the distinction of being the only postseason grand slam home run in extra innings.

The four postseason grand slam home runs by the Red Sox ties them with the Indians for the 3rd most in baseball since 1903. The Yankees have the most (11) followed by the Braves (6).

Grand slams have been a Red Sox weapon all during the regular season. Boston had 9 of the 96 hit in all of baseball in 2013, more than any other team. Mariners were 2nd with 7.

There’s no doubt about it. It was a tough loss Saturday for the Red Sox in ALCS Game 1. To be shut out, almost no-hit, at home, in the postseason is a rough way to start a bid for a world championship. But this isn’t a best-of-3 or a best-of-5. It’s a best of 7 games and, while the Tigers are an unquestionably formidable competitor, there’s time to make up for one bad game. And, in fact, the Red Sox are 9-4-1 at Fenway for all-time in the 2nd game of a postseason set, winning 4 of their last 5 postseason Game 2’s when they’re at home, starting with the 2004 World Series.

Here’s how our team and the Tigers batters have fared against tonight’s starters. First, Red Sox batters’ career performance vs Max Scherzer, followed by the same for Tigers batters vs Clay Buchholz. Both are sorted by batting average:

Over the past 5 seasons the Red Sox have done well vs the Tigers, going 22-14 (.611), their 4th best record in that time vs any AL club. Over the span, the Red Sox are 14-5 at Fenway, 8-9 at Comerica Park.

In 2013 vs the Tigers the Red Sox were 2-1 at Fenway and 1-3 in Detroit. Boston batters averaged .310 over those games. Only the Angels hit Tigers pitching better (.320). Boston’s .382 on-base percentage was the highest by any Tigers opponent. Detroit hit Boston pitchers at .282, the 4th best batting average of any of the Red Sox’ AL opponents. [Read more…]