I don't get how you would second guess Leyland, unless you're someone that thinks that all starters should throw a complete game every start. What match-ups were bad in that innings? Veras vs. Middlebrooks in a 5-1 game, 1 out nobody on? Smyly vs. Ellsbury with 1 on and 1 out?
You could argue that Benoit should have come out instead of Alburquerque, either to face Pedroia or to try and get a 5-out save against Victorino and Ellsbury. Or to come in against Ellsbury. But at that point it didn't seem necessary to stretch out your closer. Alburquerque was on and carved up Victorino. Pedroia took a good pitch and grounded it in a hole because he's a good hitter who got lucky.
Benoit was absolutely the right choice vs. Ortiz. Phil Coke has been terrible, hasn't pitched in a major league game in nearly a month, and Tiger fans were calling for him to be cut all season. Only in hindsight could you suggest he was a better option to face Ortiz. And Ortiz pulled a pitch that was on the outer half of the plate for a home run. That's pretty impressive.
I would have had Benoit pitch the ninth. But Porcello didn't pitch poorly. The lead-off single was a routine ground ball to an ordinary third baseman, that shouldn't have been thrown by Iglesias, that should have easily been blocked by Prince. Then Prince should have caught a pop-up. A lot of defensive blame to go around in that ninth because Boston scored a run on two rollers.