BOSTON _ The Detroit Tigers scored eight runs off Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright.
But they blew leads of 4-0 and 8-5 before taking a 9-8 lead in the seventh inning on a two-out bases loaded walk to Tyler Collins.
Yes, it was that kind of night.
They went on to beat the Red Sox by that score Tuesday. The Tigers try to complete the sweep on Wednesday as rookie right-hander Michael Fulmer goes for his 10th win.
With two outs in the seventh, Red Sox lefty reliever Robbie Ross Jr. hit Justin Upton with a pitch, gave up a single to Mike Aviles and then surrendered back-to-back walks to Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Collins.
The Red Sox scored five runs over six innings against Tigers starter Mike Pelfrey. The Red Sox tied the game, 8-8, with three runs in the sixth against lefty Kyle Ryan and Alex Wilson.
Ryan came on in the sixth and gave up a leadoff home run to Jackie Bradley Jr., cutting the Tigers lead to 8-6. Wilson came in with two on and one out and gave up a walk to Mookie Betts to load the bases, then an RBI single to Dustin Pedroia. With the bases loaded and one out, Xander Bogaerts grounded into a force out, but the Tigers couldn't turn the double play. Brock Holt scored from third, tying the game, 8-8, for the Red Sox.
David Ortiz, who had already hit a three-run home run in the third inning, had runners on the corners with two outs and flied out to center.
The Tigers squandered a 4-0 lead, only to score four runs in the fifth to take an 8-5 lead.
Wright gave up back-to-back walks with no outs in the fifth inning. Victor Martinez followed with an RBI single to right that scored Jose Iglesias, tying the game, 5-5.
Red Sox first baseman Hanley Ramirez had trouble with a grounder by Upton, which allowed Cabrera to score. Saltalamacchia, who played for the Red Sox from 2010-2013, hit a two-out, two-run single to give the Tigers a three-run lead.
Iglesias, who hit his first career home run at Fenway over the Green Monster in Monday's 4-2 win over the Red Sox, singled in each of his first two at-bats tonight.
After a one-out single by Iglesias in the first, Miguel Cabrera followed with a two-run home run to right-center for his 20th home run of the season. It was Cabrera's first at-bat against Wright.
Mike Aviles led off the second inning with a single, went to third on a wild pitch and advanced to third when Saltalamacchia grounded out to short. Aviles came home on a single by Collins. With two outs, Iglesias brought home Collins to make it 4-0.
Ortiz hit a two-out, three-run home run off Pelfrey in the third inning and the Red Sox scored two more runs in the fourth.
Pelfrey gave up a one-out double to Betts and hit Bogaerts with a pitch with two outs before Ortiz stepped to the plate.
Ortiz was 1-for-9 lifetime against Pelfrey before hitting his 528th career home run and 25th of the season. It was the sixth home run over the past 14 games for Ortiz.
Pelfrey allowed a leadoff walk Bradley Jr. and a single to Travis Shaw in the fourth. With one out, Brock Holt grounded out to second. Shaw evaded the tag by seemingly running out of the basepath before Ian Kinsler threw to first for the second out. Bradley Jr. came home to tie the game, 4-4.
Betts followed with an RBI double to give the Red Sox the 5-4 lead.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus came out of the dugout to question Shaw's baserunning on the tying run.
