DETROIT -- John Lackey figured there would be no margin for error. So when Justin Verlander began overpowering the Boston lineup, Lackey did his best to match him, out for out. "I knew I was going to have to pitch pretty good today," Lackey said. "Hes having a great career, great season, great post-season. The guys came through." Lackey edged Verlander in the latest duel of these pitching-rich playoffs, and Bostons bullpen shut down Detroits big boppers with the game on the line to lift the Red Sox over the Tigers 1-0 Tuesday for a 2-1 advantage in the American League championship series. Mike Napoli homered off Verlander in the seventh inning, and Detroits best chance to rally fell short in the eighth when Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder struck out with runners at the corners. "The runs are pretty stingy," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "This is what its about in post-season, is good pitching." Despite three straight gems by their starters, the Tigers suddenly trail in a best-of-seven series they initially appeared to control. Game 4 is Wednesday night at Comerica Park, with Jake Peavy scheduled to start for the Red Sox against Doug Fister. Peavy set the tone Tuesday during a pregame news conference, when he sounded miffed that so much of the attention was focused on Verlander before Game 3. "Its been funny for me to watch all the coverage of the game coming in," Peavy said. "Almost like we didnt have a starter going today. Our starter is pretty good, too." So the Tigers arent the only team in this ALCS with good starting pitching. That was evident after Lackey allowed four hits in 6 2-3 innings, striking out eight without a walk in a game that was delayed 17 minutes in the second inning because lights on the stadium towers went out. It was the second 1-0 game in this matchup between the highest-scoring teams in the majors. Dominant pitching has been a running theme throughout these playoffs, which have included four 1-0 scores and seven shutouts. The Red Sox are now two wins from an American League pennant after overcoming each of Detroits biggest stars. Max Scherzer started Game 2 for the Tigers and was terrific, but Boston rallied from a five-run deficit against the Detroit bullpen to even the series. Then on Tuesday, Boston came away with a win in Detroit against Verlander, and when Cabrera and Fielder came up in the eighth, the Red Sox held on. Cabrera, who failed to reach base for the first time in 32 post-season games for the Tigers, never looked comfortable against Junichi Tazawa, swinging and missing at the first two offerings and eventually chasing an outside pitch for strike three. "To me, I (got) myself out. I was swinging at a lot of balls out of the strike zone," said Cabrera, who has been banged up for a couple of months but homered in Game 2. "When you swing at balls, youre not able to have success." Fielder looked even more overmatched against Koji Uehara, striking out on three pitches. Uehara also worked the ninth for a save, ensuring that Lackeys fine performance wouldnt go to waste. Lackey pitched poorly his first two seasons in Boston after signing an $82.5 million, five-year contract in December 2009. Then he missed all of 2012 following elbow ligament-replacement surgery. Hes been better this season, and he kept the defending AL champions off balance Tuesday by effectively changing speeds. Napolis first at-bat in the majors was against Verlander on May 4, 2006, at Comerica Park. He homered then, too. "Hes tough. He was on his game tonight. He was keeping all of us off balance," said Napoli, who rubbed his bat on teammate Jonny Gomes beard before going up to the plate. "I got to a 3-2 count and put a good swing on a pitch, was able to drive it." Detroits three starters in the ALCS -- Verlander, Scherzer and Anibal Sanchez -- have combined to allow two runs and six hits with 35 strikeouts in 21 innings. Still, the Tigers have fallen behind because their bullpen blew a four-run lead late in Game 2 and the offence came up empty at home on Tuesday. Detroit stranded runners on first and third in the first, then wasted Jhonny Peraltas leadoff double in the fifth. Peralta reached third with one out, but an overanxious Omar Infante struck out and Andy Dirks grounded out. Napolis homer was the first run allowed by Verlander since Sept. 18 -- he pitched six scoreless innings in each of his last two starts in the regular season before blanking the opposition for 21 innings in the playoffs. "We won a game with four hits tonight. It says a lot about this team," Gomes said. Joe Montana Jersey . 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You dont try to lose games.At this point, it doesnt sound like Luke Richardson has any interest in becoming an assistant coach in the NHL. There have been several Ottawa fans wondering if Richardson - currently the head coach of the clubs AHL affiliate in Binghamton - would be able to help the Senators with their defensive issues as an assistant coach down the road. But speaking to him on TSN 1200 Tuesday, it sounds like the 44-year-old is waiting for the right opportunity to become a head coach in the NHL. Richardson had spent three years as an assistant in Ottawa, but in the spring of 2012 he had a conversation with general manager Bryan Murray about his coaching future. So when the Binghamton job opened up after Kurt Kleinendorst stepped aside, he knew that was the career path he wanted to pursue. "It was great getting the experience those first few years kind of being the part-time guy, the upstairs guy and the practice guy with the Senators. But when I had that chance to become a head coach I told Bryan, Thats what I want to be. I want to be a head coach. Its not that I think Im better than anyone else or better than an assistant coachs job, I just feel more comfortable in that role and I like it," Richardson said on Tuesday. Richardson says he currrently has no aspirations to leave his post in Binghamton, where he has guided the club to a first-place position in the AHLs East Division.dddddddddddd "Im really happy to be here. And I take a lot of pride trying to help these young players in the organization. So my answer is that Im happy to be here and Im signed for another year," added Richardson. Of course, things could change if an NHL head coaching job opened up in the summer. A couple of teams - like Buffalo and Florida - are currently working with interim head coaches and have made no guarantees about who will be behind their bench next season. Add in the usual number of post-season coaching changes and there could be several opportunities for Richardson to consider in the summer. But he was quick to point out the Binghamton job offers him the unique luxury of being close to his daughter who is wrapping up her sophomore year at university down the road in Ithica, New York. "It really works well for my family with our daughter Morgan an hour away at Cornell and we get to see her a lot. Its very unusual to be able to do that in the geography of the hockey world. We are fortunate to have that so right now, my answer is that Im going to stay in the AHL." Blackhawks Jerseys StoreCheap Wild JerseysCheap Red Wings JerseysCheap Maple Leafs JerseysPenguins Jerseys StoreCapitals Jerseys For SaleBlues Jerseys StoreCheap Kings JerseysAdidas Lightning JerseysStars Jerseys For SaleCheap Predators JerseysDucks StoreSharks Jerseys For SaleCheap Sabres JerseysRangers Jerseys For Sale ' ' '