2006 American League Championship Series

Summary

Oakland Athletics vs. Detroit Tigers

Game summaries

Game 1

Oakland was 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position, while Detroit turned four double plays (both are LCS records). Tigers first baseman Sean Casey left the game in the bottom of the sixth inning due to an apparent leg injury. Brandon Inge homered with two outs in the third off Barry Zito, who allowed a double and two walks to load the bases before Magglio Ordóñez's single scored another run. Next inning, Iván Rodríguez hit a leadoff home run off Zito, who then walked Craig Monroe. Marcus Thames then hit into a forceout, advancing to second on D'Angelo Jiménez's error and scoring on Inge's double. Inge moved to third on Curtis Granderson's groundout, then scored on Plácido Polanco's single. Oakland avoided a shutout when Milton Bradley doubled to lead off the eighth off Joel Zumaya, moved to third on Frank Thomas's groundout, and scored on Jay Payton's groundout.

Game 2

Oakland struck first in Game 2 when Mark Kotsay doubled in the first with one out off Justin Verlander, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Milton Bradley's single, but Detroit tied it when Carlos Guillén doubled to lead off the second off Esteban Loaiza, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on Craig Monroe's sacrifice fly. In the third, Kotsay doubled with two outs off Verlander before Bradley homered to put Oakland up 3–1. In the fourth, Detroit loaded the bases on two singles and a walk with one out off Loaiza before Monroe's single scored a run, Alexis Gomez's 2-run single gave Detroit the lead, and Brandon Inge's sacrifice fly put the Tigers up 5–3. In the sixth, Monroe doubled off Loaiza with two outs before Gomez homered to put Detroit up 7–3. Eric Chavez's leadoff home run off Verlander in the bottom of the inning cut the lead to 7–4. Next inning, Bradley homered with two outs off Wilfredo Ledezma to make it 7–5 Detroit, but the Tigers got that run back in the ninth on Granderson's leadoff home run off Huston Street. In the bottom of the inning, Oakland got three straight two-out singles off Todd Jones to load the bases, but Frank Thomas flew out to center to end the game. Since the ALCS has been increased to a seven-game series, no team has come back to win the series after losing the first two games at home.

Game 3

Oakland infielder Mark Kiger, who was called up from the minors for the ALCS following an injury to Mark Ellis, entered the game in the eighth inning as a defensive replacement for second baseman D'Angelo Jiménez, thereby becoming the first player in modern baseball history to make his major-league debut in a postseason game. Kenny Rogers also continued to dominate, not allowing the Athletics to score once for his second victory in the postseason. Curtis Granderson walked to lead off the first off Rich Harden, moved to third on Craig Monroe's single, and scored on Plácido Polanco's single. Magglio Ordóñez's sacrifice fly made it 2–0 Tigers. Monroe's leadoff home run in the fifth off Harden made it 3–0. Todd Jones picked up his second save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Game 4

In Game 4, Mark Kotsay walked with one out in the first off Jeremy Bonderman, then scored on Milton Bradley's double. One out later, Bradley scored on Eric Chavez's double to put Oakland up 2–0. Jay Payton homered in the fourth to make it 3–0. In the fifth, however, Brandon Inge singled off Dan Haren, moving to second on an error. After moving to third on a groundout, Inge scored on a double by Curtis Granderson, who then scored on Craig Monroe's double. Magglio Ordóñez homered in the sixth to tie the game at three. In the bottom of the ninth, Huston Street got two outs, then allowed back-to-back singles to Polanco and Monroe before Ordóñez launched a three-run walk-off home run to win the game and advance the Tigers to the 2006 World Series. Ordóñez's blast was the first pennant-winning home run since Aaron Boone's in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS and came on the 30th anniversary of Chris Chambliss' pennant-winning walk-off in Game 5 of the 1976 ALCS.

Composite box

2006 ALCS (4–0): Detroit Tigers over Oakland Athletics

Aftermath

A few days after the conclusion of the series, Athletics general manager Billy Beane fired manager Ken Macha. Although the Athletics went 368–280 in his four seasons as manager, Macha frustrated management and players throughout his tenure. Macha's fractured relationships with players such as Nick Swisher and Rich Harden had been the source of Bay Area stories for several seasons. Even prior to the 2006 season, there was controversy with Macha as he opted out of the last year of his contract and almost took the Pittsburgh Pirates' manager job, but was later rehired by Oakland for the 2006 season. After his firing following the AL Championship Series, Macha would later serve as the Milwaukee Brewers' manager from 2009 and 2010.

After the season, ace pitcher Barry Zito signed a record seven year free agent contract with the San Francisco Giants, ending his seven-year run with the Athletics. Zito was the last man standing in Oakland's Big Three rotation of Zito, Mark Mulder, and Tim Hudson. From 2000 to 2003, the Big Three helped the Athletics win the division in 2000, 2002, and 2003. In those years, each man made multiple All-Star appearances and Zito won the 2002 Cy Young Award, which is the Athletics' last Cy Young award win to date.

The Tigers and Athletics would meet again in the postseason in the American League Division Series in 2012 and 2013, with the Tigers winning both series in five games. By 2012, Justin Verlander was the only player on either team that played in the 2006 American League Championship Series. Verlander's pitching performance in 2012 and 2013 gave him 30 straight scoreless innings against the Athletics in the playoffs, breaking the record for scoreless innings against one team in the postseason set by Christy Mathewson (28).

Magglio Ordóñez pennant clinching walk-off home run would be the last in MLB until 2014, when San Francisco Giants outfielder Travis Ishikawa hit a three-run home run off of Michael Wacha to send the Giants to the World Series.

, the Athletics' and Tigers' World Series droughts have continued. Both franchises have not won a championship since the 1980s (1984 for Detroit and 1989 for Oakland).

References

References

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2. "2006 ALCS Game 1 – Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics". Retrosheet.
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5. "2006 ALCS Game 4 – Oakland Athletics vs. Detroit Tigers". Retrosheet.
6. Jenkins, Chris. (October 14, 2006). "Kiger says historic debut with A's spoiled by loss". [[The San Diego Union-Tribune]].
7. (2006-10-16). "Players snipe over Macha's management style".
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9. Slusser, Susan. "Giants finally make a big splash, sign Zito to largest pitcher contract ever".
10. (17 October 2012). "Justin Verlander's scoreless streak".