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The Detroit Tigers were just three outs away from an appearance in the AL championship series on Wednesday, but Jose Valverde gave up three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to let the ALDS move to a tie with the Oakland Athletics at two games apiece. It's been a very close series thus far, but if the Tigers have one thing they can count on, it's Justin Verlander.
Verlander was hoping to be prepping for an appearance in the ALCS, but instead he'll take the mound in Game 5 and try and top his Game 1 performance, in which he out-dueled his opponent handily, pitching seven innings of one-run ball to put the Tigers up 1-0 in the series.
His opponent that night, Jarrod Parker, also pitched well. He went six-plus innings and allowed two runs, but that's all it takes to lose to Verlander. Parker will get a chance at redemption on Thursday, and given that "redemption" seems to be the name of the game in Oakland, it's very fitting.
First pitch for Thursday's Game 5 is scheduled for 9:37 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast nationally on TNT.