For better or worse, Joaquin Benoit was the Tigers' closer as the 2013 postseason began. It's easy to forget that but important to remember it.

With four outs to go, with a four-run lead and the most dangerous postseason hitter in baseball at the plate, Jim Leyland went to his closer. He went to the best pitcher in his bullpen. That might be an indictment of the bullpen, but it was true nonetheless.

It didn't work, but Leyland didn't regret his choice. Not then. Not now.

"No, I went with our best guy," Leyland said. "There was no question in my mind that Benoit would be the pitcher. I've had no second thoughts. He was the best choice."

Ahead 5-1, Leyland pulled dominating starter Max Scherzer because after seven innings and 108 pitches, Scherzer declared himself out of gas.

"I was done," Scherzer said repeatedly that night.

The Tigers needed to get six more outs. Leyland had no dependable eighth-inning reliever, so he tried to mix and match. Right-hander Jose Veras faced two batters, retiring one of them. Lefty Drew Smyly walked Jacoby Ellsbury. Righty Al Alburquerque struck out Shane Victorino but allowed a single to Dustin Pedroia.

Leyland had lefty Phil Coke throwing, but Coke had had a terrible 2013 season and could hardly be trusted with the biggest at-bat of the year.

Benoit was the choice, and really, he was the obvious choice. It just didn't work. He threw a first-pitch changeup. Ortiz hit it just out of Torii Hunter's reach, and the game was tied.

"The kid tried to make the pitch," Leyland said. "He just left it up. Yes, it did change the series, but we still got a split in [Games 1 and 2 in] Boston. To me, Game 3 was the game that really changed the series. [Justin] Verlander pitched a great game, and we just didn't score.

"[Ortiz's slam] did change the series, but it didn't ruin the series for us."

Still, it's the one moment everyone remembers. It's still the moment in which the Tigers could have put the Red Sox to bed but weren't able to do it.

"For me, it's already gone," Benoit said after the game. "There's nothing we can do about it right now. The game's over. We start a fresh game next time."

Hunter complained that night that the Tigers never should have allowed Ortiz to beat them. Others in the Tigers organization have wondered the same thing, noting that the team's advance scouting report said to walk Ortiz rather than allow him a chance to win a game.

But the bases were loaded. Even with a four-run lead, walking Ortiz intentionally -- or even semi-intentionally -- would have been hugely unorthodox and probably unwise.

Instead, Jim Leyland asked his closer to get the out. It didn't work.

"I throw it, he hit it," Benoit said later. "Nothing else I can do."

But Leyland has no regrets.

-- Danny Knobler