G117: Red Sox 10, Tigers 7 (10)

First of all, we can thank David Ortiz -- yet again -- for last night's win. His home run in the ninth inning tied the game at 3-3 and his three-run blast in the tenth put the game on ice.

We can also thank Tigers manager Alan Trammell, for pulling starter Nate Robertson after only eight innings. Robertson had totally dominated Boston, allowing only two hits (a two-run home run by Jason Varitek in the second and Edgar Renteria's single in the sixth), and throwing a mere 90 pitches. Trammell apparently felt the ninth inning was the time for his "closer" -- so out went Robertson and in came Fernando Rodney.

With Boston two outs from defeat, Ortiz belted a 3-1 pitch to deep right-center to tie the game -- and further his life's work of convincing us silly statheads that clutch hitting does, in fact, exist.

Trammell ended up using three more pitchers as the Red Sox struck for seven runs and seven hits in the tenth inning. In addition to Flo's home run, Varitek added his second two-run shot -- which pushed the lead to 10-3 and caused one of the FSN announcers to proclaim: "This ain't right!"

What actually ain't right is that Mike Remlinger is shaky even with a seven-run lead. We will forget about his meltdown (walk, single, walk, grand slam) after getting two quick outs, so as not to mar the team's wonderful comeback.

Deep down in Florida, Mariano Rivera allowed a game-tying home run in the ninth and Scott Proctor walked in the winning run on four pitches as the Devil Rays won 4-3. Boston's lead is 4.5 games.

Wells / Bonderman at 2:00.