Detroit Tigers rally to take down Chicago White Sox, 7-6, in extra innings for 2-0 start

CHICAGO — Carson Kelly slapped the ball back up the middle.

A hard-hit ground-ball single into center field was exactly what the Detroit Tigers needed Saturday to score the free runner from second base.

The Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox, winning 7-6 in extra innings, in the second game of the season, following a 1-0 victory on Opening Day. Kelly, who drove in the tying run with a single in the seventh inning, also drove in the winning run with a single in the 10th inning at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Tigers right-hander Kenta Maeda, who signed a two-year, $24 million contract in the offseason, gave up six runs across 3⅓ innings in his first start, but the Tigers (2-0) mounted a comeback with three unanswered runs before making it four unanswered runs in the 10th.

Kelly hit a 94.9 mph fastball from right-handed reliever Deivi García. Mark Canha, serving as the free extra-innings runner on second base, scored easily. Kelly finished with three hits — all singles — in five at-bats.

Right-handed reliever Shelby Miller, another offseason signing, slammed the door in the bottom of the 10th inning, stranding Chicago's free runner. He sent down all three batters he faced, including a strikeout to end the game.

Getting to the finish line felt like riding a roller coaster.

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The Tigers tied the game, 6-6, in the top of the seventh inning, but in the bottom of the seventh, right-handed reliever Alex Lange — no longer in the closer role — walked the bases loaded with one out. He threw eight strikes, but only five of his 23 pitchers were actually located in the strike zone.

His teammates stepped up.

Right-handed reliever Will Vest replaced Lange. Eloy Jiménez hit a second-pitch fastball for a bouncing ball to third baseman Zach McKinstry, who fielded the ball on a difficult hop. He stepped on third base with his right foot and simultaneously threw the ball to first baseman Spencer Torkelson, who scooped the ball out of the dirt.

It was an incredible inning-ending double play.

The Tigers had another scare in the bottom of the eighth, when McKinstry rushed what should have been an easy throw to Torkelson for the third out. He spiked the throw and Torkelson couldn't bail him out.

McKinstry's mistake put runners on the corners, but Vest struck out Korey Lee with an up-and-in fastball to strand the runners.

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A debut to forget

The fans sang "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" in the fourth inning.

Maeda, who turns 36 in less than two weeks, couldn't complete four innings against the White Sox. His fastball averaged just 88.9 mph, down from 91 mph last season. The White Sox, led by slugger Luis Robert Jr., hammered Maeda for three home runs in front of their home crowd.

It wasn't just one bad inning.

The White Sox scored at least one run in each of the first four innings.

Robert demolished a middle-middle fastball for a two-run home run in the first inning. He then blasted an up-and-away slider for another two-run homer in the third inning. The first homer had a 111.9 mph exit velocity. Both homers from Robert traveled to left-center field, combining for 866 feet.

Robert recorded his six multi-homer game in his career.

In the second inning, Braden Shewmake clubbed a first-pitch hanging slider for a solo home run. It was his first MLB hit in the fifth plate appearance of his career, but only his first trip to the plate with the White Sox after playing in two games with the Atlanta Braves last season.

The Tigers trailed, 5-3, after all three homers.

The fans sang to Maeda, and then the White Sox scored their sixth run for a 6-4 advantage after right-handed reliever Alex Faedo replaced him. Nicky Lopez was caught stealing for the second out in the fourth inning, but the throw from catcher Kelly to shortstop Javier Báez allowed Shewmake to score. Center fielder Parker Meadows robbed a home run to end the fourth inning.

Maeda threw 71 pitches.

He generated just eight whiffs on 39 swings.

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Offense awakens

The Tigers put Maeda in the driver's seat.

Before Maeda crashed, the Tigers throttled right-hander Michael Soroka for three runs and a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Five consecutive batters reached safely: Meadows (triple), Torkelson (single), Riley Greene (walk), Kerry Carpenter (single) and Canha (single).

Torkelson drove in one run; Canha drove in two runs.

Soroka allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks — without a strikeout — in five innings. The fourth run occurred when Canha attacked an elevated sinker for a solo home run with two outs in the fifth inning, cutting the deficit to 6-4.

It was Canha's first homer with the Tigers.

The Tigers tied the game, 6-6, in the seventh inning, when Greene hit a two-strike fastball from right-handed reliever Dominic Leone for a solo home run and Kelly drove in Canha, who advanced to third base on Colt Keith's groundout, with a two-out single off left-hander Tim Hill's fastball from a side-arm angle.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers rally to take down Chicago White Sox, 7-6, in extras, start 2-0