White Sox 6, Tigers 2
CHICAGO -- Chris Sale must be getting tired of being a hard-luck loser.
He did something about it Monday night at U.S. Cellular Field, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 6-2 win against the Detroit Tigers.
Despite allowing two early runs, including a solo homer by Miguel Cabrera in the first inning, Sale paved the way for the White Sox to capture the opener of a three-game series.
Thanks to Chicago's low-producing offense, Sale came into the game with a 1-4 record and 1.62 ERA in six outings this season when he lasted at least eight innings -- including three complete games. He'd also received three runs of support or fewer in his previous four starts and in six of the last seven.
That wasn't the case this time, even after Sale allowed the Tigers to take a 2-0 lead after two innings. Held in check the first three innings by Detroit starter Doug Fister (10-6), the Sox scored once in the fourth, three times in the fifth and twice in the eighth en route to a 14-hit night.
Gordon Beckham (3-for-5, one RBI), Jeff Keppinger (3-for-4, two runs) and Josh Phegley (2-for-4, two RBIs) led the way offensively, while Sale settled down to polish off his fourth complete game of the year.
Sale (8-11) allowed nine hits and the two runs. He struck out six with no walks, and he threw 79 of his 109 pitches for strikes.
Fister lasted six innings and allowed four runs on eight hits, three walks and two wild pitches.
Cabrera went 2-for-4 to lead the Tigers (69-48), who've dropped two straight games and three of their last four after reeling off 12 consecutive wins.
The White Sox (45-72) won for the second time in five games.
Fister, who cruised through the first three innings with just one hit allowed, ran into trouble in both the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, a bout of wildness led to two walks and two wild pitches that ultimately cut Detroit's lead to 2-1 when Gordon Beckham scored from third on the second wild pitch.
After working out of that jam by getting Avisail Garcia to pop out weakly with runners at second and third, Fister allowed three runs on five hits and a walk in the fifth -- getting help again from Garcia, the former Tigers prospect, to escape without more damage. Garcia grounded out with two outs and the bases loaded.
The Tigers built an early 2-0 lead against Sale. It didn't take Cabrera long to continue torturing pitchers with the long ball. After homering twice off Yankees closer Mariano Rivera in New York last weekend, Cabrera took Sale deep to right field on the first pitch he saw in the first inning Monday. He lofted his 37th homer of the season just over the fence for a 1-0 lead. It was Cabrera's fourth straight game with a home run.
Detroit made it 2-0 in the second thanks to Brayan Pena's two-out double to right-center.
NOTES: LF Dayan Viciedo didn't play for the White Sox for the third consecutive game because of a sore thumb. He has missed five of Chicago's past seven games. An MRI on the thumb was negative. ... Detroit called up C Bryan Holaday to replace injured C Alex Avila, who was placed on the seven-day disabled list after Sunday's game with concussive symptoms. ... The Tigers reinstated 2B Omar Infante (sprained left ankle) from his rehab assignment in the minor leagues and optioned INF Hernan Perez to Triple-A Toledo. ... Detroit RHP Octavio Dotel had his rehab assignment transferred from the rookie-level Gulf Coast League to Class A Lakeland. Dotel has been out since late April due to right elbow inflammation.