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.

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.