Detroit 4, Chi. White Sox 2
When: 8:05 PM ET, Sunday, September 2, 2012
Where: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
Temperature:
78°
Umpires:
Home -
Adrian Johnson, 1B -
Gary Cederstrom, 2B -
Lance Barksdale, 3B -
Fieldin Culbreth
Attendance:
42192
By SportsDirect Inc.
Tigers 4, White Sox 2: Justin Verlander tossed eight stellar innings and Delmon Young snapped a sixth-inning deadlock with a three-run homer as host Detroit completed a three-game sweep and forged a tie with Chicago atop the American League Central.
Rebounding nicely from a 5 2/3-innings effort at Kansas City on Tuesday in which he surrendered eight runs and 12 hits, Verlander (13-7) limited the White Sox to one run and four hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts. The reigning AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner improved to 14-10 in 27 career starts against Chicago.
The Tigers, who have won 25 of 31 at home, got to Chris Sale (15-6) in the sixth as Omar Infante hit a leadoff single and Miguel Cabrera walked. After Prince Fielder struck out, Young lined a 1-2 pitch over the fence in left field for his 17th blast and a 4-1 advantage.
Young went 5-for-10 with two homers and seven RBIs in the series.
Detroit closer Jose Valverde allowed a run on three straight two-out singles in the ninth before securing his 28th save in 32 opportunities.
Sale lasted six innings, yielding four runs and five hits while walking four. The left-hander, who struck out seven, has lost three of his last four starts.
After being sidelined since Aug. 18 with a bruised ribcage, Alejandro De Aza needed just two pitches to get back into a groove. Leading off the game, De Aza sent Verlander's 1-0 offering over the wall in right field for his seventh home run.
The Tigers answered in the fifth as Brennan Boesch belted an 0-1 pitch from Sale to center, forging a 1-1 tie. The blast was Boesch's first since July 22.
Pinch hitter Dan Johnson had an RBI single in the ninth for the White Sox, who have lost seven consecutive meetings with Detroit.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Over his last eight games, Young is 13-for-30 (.433) with four homers and 11 RBIs. ... Chicago has lost 18 of its last 21 visits to Comerica Park. ... Each of Boesch's last three home runs have come against the White Sox. He went deep versus Chicago in back-to-back games on July 21-22. ... Detroit OF Austin Jackson, who leads the AL with 10 triples, is on the verge of becoming the second Tiger to top the league in three-base hits in consecutive seasons since Ty Cobb in 1917-18. Curtis Granderson accomplished the feat in 2007-08.
Top Game Performances
Hitting
Chi. White Sox |
|
Detroit |
Dan Johnson | Player |
Austin Jackson
|
1 |
Hits |
2 |
1 |
RBI |
0 |
0 |
HR |
0 |
1 |
TB |
2 |
1.000 |
Avg |
.667 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
Chi. White Sox
|
7 |
1 |
11 |
.212 |
12 |
11 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
Detroit
|
9 |
2 |
16 |
.300 |
18 |
8 |
4 |
5 |
0 |
0 |