Campus Maximus » ght overall win streak. Sakara (15-11) is now

DETROIT -- On a night of desperation, dispute and finally, delirium, Max Scherzer and the Detroit Tigers kept their season alive by the slimmest of margins. A tying home run, helped along by a couple of fans in right field. A full-count pitch with the bases loaded that was low and inside but became strike three when the batter swung. A line drive down the line with the bases still full -- foul by a few feet. During a relief outing to remember, Scherzer escaped a major jam one inning after two fans reached out to try to reel in Victor Martinezs disputed home run, and the Tigers rallied past the Oakland Athletics 8-6 on Tuesday to force a decisive fifth game in their AL division series. Scherzer was in line to start Game 5, but the 21-game winner came on Tuesday instead for his first relief appearance since the 2011 post-season. He wriggled out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the eighth inning and got the win. "We took our best shot and we had to because we were behind the 8-ball a little bit," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "We took that shot and, hey, both teams are going to have a good pitcher going two days from now." After avoiding elimination, the Tigers can now send Justin Verlander to the mound Thursday night in Oakland. Verlander shut out the As at the Coliseum in Game 5 of the division series last year. Oakland hasnt announced a starter for Thursday. It is Bartolo Colons turn in the post-season rotation, but rookie Sonny Gray could also come back on normal rest after a brilliant performance in Game 2. "We havent decided anything yet," manager Bob Melvin said. Playing catch-up most of the way in Game 4, the Tigers tied it first with Jhonny Peraltas three-run homer in the fifth and then on Martinezs solo shot in the seventh. A couple of fans attempted to catch Martinezs drive, and at least one of them bobbled the ball as he reached over the railing above the wall. That prevented right fielder Josh Reddick from having any chance at a leaping grab. Reddick and centre fielder Coco Crisp immediately protested, pointing up at the stands in the hope of a fan-interference call. But umpires upheld the home run after a replay review. "I have no doubt I was going to catch that ball. When I looked at the replay, thats what I thought," Reddick said. "Its totally frustrating that a fan can influence the game." Gary Darling, the crew chief, was umpiring in right field. He disagreed, even after the replay. "It was clear he was not going to catch the ball, so it was clearly going to be a home run," Darling said. "There wasnt any other evidence on replay to turn it another way." Scherzer came out of the bullpen in the seventh and gave up a run, then ran into trouble again in the eighth. With the Tigers ahead 5-4, he allowed a walk and a double to start the inning. But after an intentional walk to load the bases, Leyland left his ace on the mound. Scherzer struck out Reddick, who swung and missed at what would have been ball four on a low, inside pitch. Stephen Vogt struck out too, but pinch-hitter Alberto Callaspos line drive to left nearly fell in before landing foul. Callaspo eventually lined out to centre. "It was surreal," said Scherzer, the winning pitcher in both Detroit victories this series. "Maybe its not the ninth inning, but thats the stuff you dream about pitching -- bases loaded, eighth inning, no outs, and I was able to do it." Detroit, held hitless through four innings in a game of twists and turns, added three runs in the eighth on a wild pitch and a two-run double by Omar Infante that made it 8-4. Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run single in the ninth, bringing the potential tying run to the plate, but Joaquin Benoit struck out Seth Smith to end it. Crisp had four hits and three runs for the As, who led 3-0 and 4-3 but couldnt close out the defending American League champions. The Oakland bullpen hadnt allowed a run all series until Tuesday. After Crisp put the As ahead 4-3 with an RBI single off Scherzer in the seventh, Martinez lifted a fly to right against reliever Sean Doolittle. It would have been an extremely difficult catch for Reddick, and it looked as though the ball might have cleared the wall even without the fans involvement. It was certainly an anxious wait while umpires reviewed the play, which brought back memories of Derek Jeters fan-aided homer against Baltimore in the 1996 AL championship series at Yankee Stadium. Peralta followed with a double, and Austin Jackson -- who was 1 for 14 with 10 strikeouts in the series to that point -- managed a broken-bat single to put the Tigers ahead 5-4. It appeared Detroit was in big trouble in the eighth, but Scherzer was able to protect the one-run lead, and the Tigers eventually added to it. Detroit starter Doug Fister allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings before being relieved by Scherzer, who came back on three days rest after his victory in Game 1. Oakland took the series lead with a win in Game 3, and Crisps leadoff triple Tuesday put the Tigers on their heels again. Detroit brought the infield in -- a sign that even one run could be vital -- and Crisp scored on Jed Lowries one-out single, putting immediate pressure on the Tigers slumbering offence. It appeared the Athletics were on their way to the ALCS when Lowries two-run homer in the fifth gave Oakland a three-run lead. With slugger Miguel Cabrera still hobbled by injuries, As rookie Dan Straily held the Tigers hitless until the fifth. But after a bloop single by Prince Fielder, Martinez grounded a base hit to right. Peralta, who moved from shortstop to left field after returning from his late-season drug suspension, lined one over the wall in left, finally bringing the Comerica Park fans to life. NOTES: Cabrera hit a sixth-inning single. Hes reached base safely in all 28 of his post-season games with the Tigers. ... Detroit had gone seven games without a homer. ... Peraltas homer was the first extra-base hit allowed by Straily since Sept. 7, according to STATS. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . The Wild, playing their first game since leading scorer Mikko Koivu broke his ankle Saturday at Washington, have won three straight for the first time since Nov. 1-5. Koivu underwent surgery on Monday and is expected to miss at least four weeks. Cheap NFL Stitched Jerseys .com) - Manu Ginobili capped off a 26-point night with a go-ahead layup with 24 seconds left in overtime, with the basket giving the San Antonio Spurs a much-needed 95-93 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. http://www.cheaponlinenfljerseys.com/. PAUL, Minn. Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic . But this time, the Gunners weathered the storm. Arsene Wengers team was on the ropes in the early stages of a lively FA Cup tie, until Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored a goal against the run of the play. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale . Now he can be had by any team willing to pay his salary. According to a report from ESPN, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are shopping the veteran CB and plan on releasing him Wednesday if they cant find a trade partner.MANCHESTER, England -- Lyoto Machidas middleweight debut was a resounding success, as he used a spectacular high kick to score a knockout win over friend and training partner Mark Munoz on Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Munoz. Machida, who was training with Munoz when he was tapped to replace an injured Michael Bisping, looked quick and confident in his new division. The former UFC light heavyweight champion patiently set up his striking attacks while staying clear of any potential Munoz takedowns. After a feint to the legs to drop his opponents guard, Machida rifled off a left high kick that was partially blocked but was still strong enough to send Munoz crashing to the floor. Machida followed to the floor but realized additional strikes were unnecessary and held back while referee Leon Hall stepped in to call off the fight at the 3:10 mark of the opening frame. "It was very hard for me (to take the fight) because Mark is a good friend of mine," Machida said. "But you know, as a professional, I dont think about that and just do my job. But now that its over, the friendship will continue." With the win, Machida (20-4) established himself as an instant title contender at 185 pounds. Munoz (13-4) falls to 1-2 in his past three fights. Machida also earned $50,000 for the "Knockout of the Night." The nights co-feature was expected to deliver fireworks, but a controversial foul call resulted in a disappointing "no contest" result. Sluggers Melvin Guillard and Ross Pearson engaged from the opening bell, both moving well and firing in quick punches. When Pearson looked to explode into a flying knee, Guillard sidestepped the technique, leading to a scramble as he pushed an off-balance Pearson away. As Pearson scrambled up to his feet, Guillard blasted him with a pair of knees that opened up a huge gash on Pearsons forehead. Referee Marc Goddard ruled the second blow an unintentional foul, claiming Pearsons hand was on the ground for the second knee, earning him the protection of a "downed" fighter. Doctors ruled the cut severe enough to end the fight, and the bout was ruled a no contest. English "Posterboy" Jimi Manuwa kept his professional record unblemished, albeit in bizarre fashion, as an apparent leg injury ended opponent Ryan Jimmos night. Manuwa, a striking specialist, struggled to find space to strike. Jimmo, a native of Saint John, N.B., kept the action tight and looked to work inside from the clinch. Manuwa was getting the better of the action, but the grinding work from Jimmo kept the pace low. In the second round, Manuwa landed a solid knee as the two broke apart in the clinch, and as Jimmo stepped back to recover, his leg buckled, and he came crashing to the canvas. Unsure what was happening, Manuwa looked to pounce with punches, but referee Neil Hall recognized the injury and waved the fight off with 19 seconds left in the frame. "The fight went how I thought itd go," Manuwa said. "I knew he was a tough opponent. Hes strong, but I had his number. It was just a matter of time before I caught him." Manuwa remains (14-0) unbeaten, while Jimmo (18-3) falls to 1-2 in his past three appearances.dddddddddddd Norman Parke, the 26-year-old winner of "The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes," moved to 3-0 in the UFC with a convincing decision win over a previously undefeated Jon Tuck. Parke simply outworked his opponent from the opening bell, constantly moving forward and landing heavy left hands and rapid-fire combinations. While Tuck kept pace in the opening round, that changed over the course of the final 10 minutes, and the action was decidedly one-sided. In the end, Parke (19-2) outstruck Tuck (7-1) 154-76 according to a FightMetric report, and was awarded a unanimous-decision win with scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. "It feels good, but I wanted the finish as people have said Im winning on points," Parke said. "I felt good in there. I got in the groove, but I didnt want to overcommit myself. I was happy with my boxing performance, but next time I want the finish." Swedish newcomer Nicholas Musoke made the most of his first UFC opportunity, scoring a slick submission win over longtime veteran Alessio Sakara. Musoke and Sakara went toe-to-toe from the opening bell, firing punches in an entertaining slugfest. As they moved into a clinch, a Musoke trip takedown moved the action to the floor. Sakara alertly swept to the top, but Musoke spun his hips out and locked quick armbar, turning to his belly for additional torque and earning a verbal submission at the 3:07 mark of the first frame. "It feels awesome; its a dream come true," Musoke said after the win. "Being in the Octagon was special and it got to me a bit more than I thought it would. (UFC site coordinator) Burt Watson said a good thing to me yesterday -- making it here is easier than staying here -- and I want to prove I belong here." Musoke (11-2-1), who replaced an injured Magnus Cedenblad on just two-weeks notice, now boasts a six-fight overall win streak. Sakara (15-11) is now winless in four UFC outings. In the nights first main-card matchup, top flyweight contender John Lineker outstruck grappling specialist Phil Harris en route to an impressive first-round win. Harris was never able to bring the fight to the floor and was instead forced to box with the heavy-handed Lineker, who took full advantage of the opportunity. Lineker battered Harris with powerful hooks on the feet before finally dropping him with a thunderous left to the body that forced a TKO stoppage at the 2:51 mark of the opening frame. "The fight went how I wanted it; I wanted to strike," Lineker said after the fight. "Everyone who steps in the Octagon is tough, and I just work my hardest to get the best results. Were going to sit down and see whats next, but I am looking forward to celebrating." Lineker (23-6) owns four straight UFC wins, but his status as a title contender is questionable after he missed weight for Saturdays fight, marking the third time in five UFC appearances hes failed to hit the required mark. Harris (22-11) falls to 1-2 in the UFC. Attendance was 10,355 for $1.5 million gate according to White. ' ' '