Red Sox Drop Important One To Tigers

Joe Randa doesn't hit many homers and Tom Gordon doesn't allow many runs. That changed Saturday and so did Boston's shrinking wild-card lead.

Randa, who had just six homers in 410 at bats, hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning against the AL's saves leader as the Detroit Tigers cut the Red Sox' lead over Toronto to four games with a 3-2 win.

"I'm not a homer hitter. I just reacted to it," Randa said. "It was more incentive to get a win against a team racing toward the pennant."

The Red Sox managed just four hits in their seventh loss in nine games, while the Blue Jays won their game in New York against the Yankees 5-3.

Boston, which led 1-0 until Jason Wood's first major-league homer in the seventh, have 16 games remaining after losing to the team with the AL's worst record. The Blue Jays have 14 left.

"These are the games that you've got to try to win, that you're supposed to win," Boston's John Valentin said.

Gordon's streak of 10 games without allowing a run ended, although he's been successful in his last 37 save opportunities, one less than Jose Mesa'a major-league record. He's struggled in non-save situations. Randa also was instrumental in his last loss, 3-1 on July 19, with a single that started a two-run rally in the bottom o the eighth.

"My ability has shown that I can get people out, and I didn't do it," said Gordon (7-4), who has 40 saves.

"The mentality of closers is that certain guys just can't do it in non-save situations," Tigers manager Larry Parrish said.

With Tony Clark on base with a single, Parrish said he never considered putting up a lefty to hit for Randa against the righty reliever. Randa has hit safely in 11 consecutive games with a .424 average.

Matt Anderson (4-1) pitched two hitless innings as Detroit won for just the fifth time in 18 road games. Starter Bryce Florie allowed three hits in six innings, and Todd Jones got his 24th save despite giving up a two-out pinch homer to Midre Cummings in the ninth.

"It's good to come into a playoff-type environment," Florie said. "It gets you motivated when you know what's at stake for the opposing team."

Boston had taken a 1-0 lead in the second on Darren Bragg's sacrifice fly. But Wood, recalled from Triple-A Toledo last Sunday after hitting 25 homers this season, connected off Pete Schourek, who allowed just one hit in the first five innings.

"Wood's homer lit a fire under us," Parrish said. "It was a key to energizing us for the rest of the game."

Schourek was staked to the lead in the second on Nomar Garciaparra's single, Troy O'Leary's double and Bragg's sacrifice fly.

Boston also threatened with one out in the fifth after Florie retired six straight batters. Mike Benjamin singled, breaking an 0-for-12 slump, and went to third when Florie's pickoff throw went wild. Walks to Darren Lewis and Mo Vaughn loaded the bases, but Garciaparra ended the inning by grounding into a force play.

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