Home runs on both sides set the tone early in Detroit, as Randal Grichuk continued his surprising season on the South Side. The veteran outfielder launched his seventh homer of the year in the first inning to give the White Sox a quick 1-0 lead, but the Tigers responded immediately with a two-run shot of their own off opener Brandon Eisert.
Erick Fedde followed Eisert and turned in another solid relief outing, continuing his recent stretch of dependable performances in long relief. Both Sox pitchers surrendered two runs, which ultimately proved enough for Detroit to outlast a White Sox lineup facing Tarik Skubal.
Detroit’s ace was not quite his dominant self as he continues to work his way back from elbow surgery, but the White Sox still struggled to generate much offense. One bright spot came from Junior Perez, who, in just his second Major League game, recorded both his first MLB hit and home run against the reigning Cy Young Award winner. Chicago’s only other run scored came on a Tristan Peters groundout.
The highlight of the game came when Mike Vasil got into it with Skubal. A verbal altercation ensued as both players exchanged some choice words with each other in the fifth inning.
Box Score
Batting:
Pitching:
Scoring Summary
- Top 1st:
- Randal Grichuk homers on a fly ball to left. White Sox lead 1-0.
- Bottom 1st:
- Matt Vierling homers on a line drive to center field. Dillon Dingler scores. Tigers lead 2-1
- Top 5th:
- White Sox challenge a play at first; the call is overturned: Tristan Peters is forced out to second baseman Hao-Yu Lee to shortstop Kevin McGonigle. Sam Antonacci scores. Luisangel Acuña out at 2nd. Peters to first. Tied 2-2
- Top 6th:
- Junior Perez homers on a line drive to left field. White Sox lead 3-2
- Bottom 6th:
- Kerry Carpenter doubles to center. Dillon Dingler and Riley Greene score. Tigers lead 4-3
Key Performers
Randal Grichuk: 2-for-3, HR, 2B, RBI, BB
The cover of the baseball must be terrified when this guy comes to the plate. The righty destroyed a ball to give the White Sox an early lead, and his double was a good attempt to ignite the offense down late.
Junior Perez: 2-for-3, HR, RBI
In just his second game at the big-league level, Perez took two hits from the reigning AL Cy Young winner in Skubal. It’s hard to say his performance tonight was not majorly impactful, as it gave the Sox a lead for a short time.
Next Game
The White Sox have two more in Detroit, and it starts with what appears to be a potential bullpen game. Will Venable will send Sean Newcomb to the mound as he opens against righty Troy Melton, another young phenom. The Tigers’ righty has a 2.81 ERA, proving to be one of the few bright spots for the Tigers this season.
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Featured Photo: © Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
