DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers have done the math.
They have home-field advantage in a best-of-five series for the American League pennant, and they have Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez and Max Scherzer pitching in four of the five games. Those are the starters who just set a major-league record by taking no-hitters into the sixth inning of three straight postseason games.
Would they have rather come back to Comerica with a 2-0 lead? Of course.
That didn't happen, and they aren't worried about what happened Sunday night at Fenway Park. That sounds impossible, but according to one player who was in the middle of Boston's rally, it is part of the job.
"You have to have amnesia to play this game," Torii Hunter said. "It doesn't matter how you lose. It stings for a night, and then you wake up in the morning, having forgotten all about it."
Even Joaquin Benoit, who gave up David Ortiz's grand slam, said that he has a fresh mental slate going into Tuesday's Game 3.
"Do you remember what happened last night?" he asked a reporter, who replied that of course he did. "Well, I don't. I've forgotten about it. That's part of being a baseball player, and this isn't my first rodeo.
"I made a mistake -- I tried to throw a ball down and away and I left it over the middle of the plate -- but it wasn't the first one I've made and it won't be the last.
"It's no different for a closer than for anyone else in this room. You just move on."
Tigers manager Jim Leyland was quick to take the blame for the Ortiz grand slam.
"I made a mistake, because I didn't remind Joaquin that we didn't want that guy to beat us, even if it meant he got a walk," he said. "David was born for magic moments like that."
Like everyone involved with the Tigers organization, Leyland was asked Monday if he though the Tigers would be able to put the crushing loss behind them.
"I don't expect any carryover at all," he said. "I didn't see any carryover from the Boston Red Sox last night after they lost the first game 1-0. The series is 1-1, and that's probably what it should be.
"The Red Sox are scratching their heads wondering how they didn't win Game 1, and we are scratching our heads wondering how we let Game 2 get away.
The Tigers also know that they've got one of the best pitchers in franchise history ready to go on Tuesday.
"You saw what Ver did in the last game," Benoit said. "That's what he's been doing in every game for the last few weeks. So, yes, that makes us feel pretty good."
Verlander appreciated the sentiment, but said he thinks Detroit's advantage is wider than just him.
"Obviously, it is great to hear guys say that about me, but the best thing is that I can just as easily say that, no matter what happens tomorrow, we've got Doug Fister pitching in Game 4," he said. "And then we've got Anibal, and then we've got Max, and you've seen what they can do.
"Our starting rotation is relentless."
LINEUP CHANGES
Leyland said that he is going to keep juggling the shortstop and leftfield positions as the series comes back to Comerica. Jhonny Peralta will be at shortstop again, with Andy Dirks making his first start of the series in left.
"We've given Andy a few days to freshen up and try to get everything straightened out," Leyland said. "So we'll give him the start tomorrow, and we'll have Jhonny at short."
