DETROIT —
The stadium was half-empty. The lead was five runs. The game looked all but over.
Then, disaster struck.
Entering the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday afternoon at Comerica Park, the Dodgers appeared to be cruising to a second straight, series-clinching win over the Detroit Tigers.
Their offense was back on track, producing its best game in more than a week. The team’s banged-up pitching staff had held up, settling down after rookie Justin Wrobleski gave up four runs (three earned) in a five-inning start. And, with a 9-4 lead over a mediocre Tigers offense, nothing hinted at a forthcoming implosion.