DETROIT — Point Park University product Don Kelly is on Detroit’s postseason roster because he can play any position in the field, so it was with some irony that he stood at the plate — as the designated hitter — with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Kelly hit .186 during the regular season, but all the Tigers needed was a flyball.

“We need everybody here, all 25,” Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera said. “It’s not only about one guy. I think when everybody’s got a job, they have to try to do it.”

Kelly’s sacrifice fly lifted the Tigers over the Oakland Athletics 5-4 Sunday for a 2-0 lead in their AL playoff series. Kelly entered the game as a pinch runner an inning earlier and scored the tying run on wild pitch. He stayed in the game in the DH slot, and with Detroit almost out of position players, Kelly delivered to put the Tigers one win closer to a second straight trip to the AL championship series.

“Was looking for a fastball and I got it,” Kelly said. “It’s a great feeling, to be able to go out there in that situation and do that.”

Detroit overcame three A’s leads and seesawed to victory. It was 1-all before a wild final three innings that included a key error by Oakland center fielder Coco Crisp, two game-tying wild pitches and several momentum changes.

Tigers reliever Al Alburquerque kept it tied in the ninth when he got Yoenis Cespedes to hit a comebacker with men on first and third and two outs. He gave the ball a little kiss before throwing underhand to first.

Omar Infante and Cabrera hit back-to-back singles off Grant Balfour with one out in the bottom half. With runners on first and third, Prince Fielder was intentionally walked, bringing up Kelly, who was designated for assignment in early August but returned to the Tigers less than a month later.

“He’s one of the best guys in the clubhouse. We all love him,” Detroit pitcher Max Scherzer said. “For him, a utility guy, to get a hit like that, it’s great.”

Kelly’s fly to right was plenty deep enough to score Infante without a play at the plate. It was Kelly’s first RBI since June and another big playoff moment for him — his home run last year helped the Tigers beat the New York Yankees in the decisive fifth game of the division series.

On Sunday, Kelly became the first player to score a run and have an RBI in a postseason game with no official at-bats since Baltimore’s Gary Roenicke in Game 3 of the 1983 ALCS, according to STATS, LLC.

Detroit will go for a sweep of the division series matchup in Game 3 on Tuesday at Oakland. The Tigers lost to Texas in the ALCS last year.

Yankees 7, Orioles 2

BALTIMORE — For eight innings, the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles staged a magnificent duel worthy of two division foes that split 18 games during the regular season and finished two games apart in the standings.

Then the Yankees brushed aside the upstart, inexperienced newcomers and crashed a party 15 years in the making.

Russell Martin led off the ninth inning with a tiebreaking home run off Jim Johnson, CC Sabathia turned in a sparkling pitching performance and the Yankees pulled away to a 7-2 victory Sunday night in the opener of their AL divisional series.

Sabathia allowed two runs and eight hits in 8 2-3 innings to help the Yankees take the edge off the Orioles’ first home playoff game since 1997.

Nationals 3, Cardinals 2

ST. LOUIS — Given zero wriggle room, Nationals reliever Ryan Mattheus had realistic expectations. Entering with the bases loaded, nobody out and the cleanup man coming to the plate in the seventh inning, it was all about not letting the game get out of hand.

“I’m thinking minimize the damage,” Mattheus said. “No big inning here.”

He needed just two pitches to diffuse the crisis and keep it close for a deciding rally in Washington’s 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in a division series opener on Sunday. Allen Craig, who batted an NL-leading .400 with runners in scoring position, grounded into a force at the plate and Yadier Molina bounced into an easy double play.

“It was a big moment,” said Mattheus, who gave a big fist pump before walking off the mound. “It gave us life. The guys said, ‘Hey, we can win this ballgame.”

Rookie pinch-hitter Tyler Moore’s big moment came just a few minutes later. Moore, who had two of the Nationals’ three pinch homers, looped a two-out, two-run single off Marc Rzepczynski for the go-ahead hit.

Reds 9, Giants 0

SAN FRANCISCO — Dusty Baker is still beloved in the Bay Area 10 years after managing the Giants within six outs of a World Series title before falling short.

That didn’t change even after his Cincinnati Reds routed San Francisco 9-0 on Sunday night for a commanding 2-0 lead in their NL division series.

This time, it’s the Reds riding some serious postseason momentum. Two years ago, the Giants made an improbable run to the city’s first World Series championship and Cincinnati got swept out of the first round by the Phillies.

Game 3 in the best-of-five series is Tuesday at Great American Ball Park. Homer Bailey (13-10), who pitched a no-hitter Sept. 28 at Pittsburgh, takes the mound as the Reds try to close out the series against Giants right-hander Ryan Vogelsong (14-9).