Napoli’s homer lifts Red Sox

Associated Press

DETROIT

Mike Napoli’s majestic homer began a rare early Boston breakthrough, Junichi Tazawa again bested Miguel Cabrera in a crucial spot and the Red Sox moved within one win of reaching the World Series by edging the Detroit Tigers 4-3 on Thursday night.

Boston returns to Fenway Park with a 3-2 lead in the AL championship series. Game 6 is Saturday with the Tigers’ Max Scherzer facing the Red Sox’s Clay Buchholz.

Cabrera was thrown out at the plate in the first inning, halting an early Detroit rally, and he hit into a double play against Tazawa with runners at the corners in the seventh. The Tigers scored a run on the grounder, but it was a trade-off the Red Sox were willing to make.

Napoli led off a three-run second with a drive off Anibal Sanchez into the ivy beyond the wall in center field.

Ryan retires

ARLINGTON, Texas

Nolan Ryan is retiring after six years of serving as CEO of the Texas Rangers.

Ryan said Thursday that this is the right time for him step down from his job overseeing the Rangers organization. He will retire at the end of this month.

“It closes a chapter of my life in baseball,” Ryan said. “I feel like it’s time for me to move on to other things. It’s been a decision that weighed on me heavily, but I feel like it’s the right decision. ... At this point and time, it’s the correct thing for me to do.”

The Hall of Fame pitcher became the 10th president of the Rangers in February 2008 and became chief executive officer three years later.

In that span, Texas has made its only two World Series appearances.