Doug Fister Hurls Tigers Past Rangers in ALCS Game 3

After dropping the first two games of the American League Championship Series in Arlington, the banged-up Detroit Tigers absolutely had to win Game 3, and Doug Fister gave them a chance to do that. It wasn't exactly a must-win situation, but only the Boston Red Sox have come back from a 3-0 deficit to force a Game 7. They managed to win the 2004 World Series that year, but it's not the recommended way of doing things.

The right-hander with a bad case of hat-head was about as cool as the other side of the pillow in the huge Game 3, pitching 7.1 solid innings Tuesday night where he allowed just two runs on seven hits to aid in his team's 5-2 victory over the Texas Rangers. Fister loves pitching at Comerica Park. He's an incredible 5-0 with an 1.23 ERA at home... pretty much unhittable.

Meanwhile, Rangers starter Colby Lewis suffered his very first postseason loss after entering the game with a career 4-0 record and 1.67 ERA in the playoffs. It was a good run.

Josh Hamilton drove in a first inning run to give Texas an early lead, but the Tigers tied it up on a Victor Martinez lead-off solo shot in the bottom of the fourth. The following inning, Miguel Cabrera said "Hold your horses, Rangers," when he hit an RBI double to the right field corner to give Detroit a 2-1 edge.

Jhonny Peralta nailed one into the Tigers bullpen in the sixth before Austin Jackson, who had three hits in the game after going 3-for-25 with 14 strikeouts over the first seven postseason contests, blooped a run-scoring single to center. Cabrera, who struggled through the first few innings, crushed a longball to left in the seventh to make it 5-1.

The Rangers attempted a rally in the top of the eighth when Ian Kinsler mustered up an RBI ground-out to give the Tigers some extra hope in the best-of-seven series, but Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde squashed their dreams with a combined 1.2 innings of relief.

Martinez somehow managed to hurt his ribcage while he went yard, but says he'll play Game 4 in Detroit no matter what. Seriously:

"The only way I’m not playing is if I wake up dead."

A bit dramatic, but we get the picture. Lefty Matt Harrison gets the ball for Texas Wednesday night against right-hander Rick Porcello in Motown at 4:19pm ET on FOX. While you're watching or listening to the game, be sure to sneak a peek at our Twitter stream via Sulia!

[Bless You Boys]