Derek Nicholson hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to give the Detroit Tigers a 6-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox in the 59th annual Hall of Fame Game. Carlos Pena went 4-for-4 with a homer in the victory to capture the game's MVP honors. The exhibition contest featured a number of major league players, but Nicholson, a Single-A player at Lakeland of the Florida State League, won the game with a blast off Barry Hertzler of Boston's Single-A affiliate in Wilmington of the Carolina League. This marked the third consecutive year, and the third time ever, that the game was not held on Hall of Fame Weekend, which is scheduled for July 29-August 1. It was also the earliest date in the game's history. The Tigers took a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first inning against Boston starter Anibel Sanchez, another Wilmington pitcher. A Pena homer in the third increased the lead to 3-0. The Red Sox scored a run in the fifth against Detroit starter Mark Johnson of Double-A Erie, but a Rondell White homer in the fifth gave the Tigers a 4-1 edge. Boston tied it in the seventh on a two-run homer by Mike Lockwood of Triple-A Pawtucket and a solo shot by Willy Mota. The Tigers improved to 3-3-1 in their seven visits to the Hall of Fame Game, while the Red Sox dropped to 4-3. Boston was making its first visit to Doubleday Field since 1985, while Detroit last played in 1995.