Tigers Win Game Two, 8-4, To Salvage Doubleheader Split

CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Ryan pitched six scoreless innings in his major league debut, and the Detroit Tigers salvaged a split of Saturday's doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox with a potentially costly 8-4 victory.

Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera pulled up lame while running out a grounder in the fourth inning, forcing him from the game. The All-Star has been dealing with a sore right ankle.

In the opener, Chris Sale struck out a season-high 13, beating Max Scherzer in a matchup of All-Star aces and leading Chicago to a 6-3 win.

Ezequiel Carrera, Don Kelly and Ian Kinsler each had three hits for Detroit in the nightcap. Ryan (1-0) allowed five hits and walked two.

In his third at-bat, Cabrera hit a smash up the middle that glanced off pitcher Chris Bassitt and rolled several feet behind the mound. Bassitt was able to retrieve the ball and throw out Cabrera on what should have been a close play. Rajai Davis scored on the groundout to cap a three-run inning and give the Tigers a 5-0 lead.

Cabrera went 1 for 7 on the day with four strikeouts, two on called third strikes. His batting average dipped to .299, the first time it has been below .300 since May 16.

The White Sox scored four times in the eighth. Avisail Garcia had a run-scoring fielder's choice before Dayan Viciedo hit a three-run homer off Joba Chamberlain.

But the Tigers put it away with three runs in the ninth. J.D. Martinez hit a sacrifice fly and Alex Avila and Don Kelly added RBI singles.

Promoted from Double-A Birmingham prior to the game, Bassitt (0-1) allowed five runs and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings in his major league debut.

Sale (11-3) struck out at least 10 for the 17th time in his career, tying Hall of Famer Ed Walsh for the franchise record. The lanky left-hander reached that figure in 81 major league starts — Walsh made 312 for the White Sox from 1904-1916.

Sale allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings. Jake Petricka pitched the ninth for his 10th save.

Adam Dunn hit a two-run homer and Tyler Flowers also went deep against Scherzer (15-5), who fanned 11 and walked none in 6 2-3 innings. But he was touched up for six runs, five earned, and nine hits in the makeup of a June 10 rainout.

"That was the frustrating part of it. I had great stuff today," Scherzer said. "Anytime you can strike out 11 and not walk anyone, you're doing things right. But I got beat on a couple of pitches."

Ian Kinsler and Victor Martinez homered off Sale in the first, but he was dominant after that. The AL ERA leader struck out the side in the third, fifth and sixth.

"I get in that scenario a lot when I start overthrowing and coming out of my shoes," said Sale, who walked two and threw 119 pitches. "Things compound after that. Coop (pitching coach Don Cooper) and I talked a lot this week about slowing down, not gripping it and ripping it when bad things happen. That's what I tried to do today — slow it down."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Tigers: Between games, RHP Joakim Soria tested his strained left oblique by throwing on flat ground for the second straight day. "He feels (discomfort) at certain distances, but it has been a longer distance since he's felt it," manager Brad Ausmus said. "The last time he felt it, it was at 75 feet. This time it was at 90 feet." The hope is that Soria will be able to throw off a mound next week.

White Sox: Jose Abreu started at DH in both games and was limping at times, the result of an upper leg problem that manager Robin Ventura dismissed as fatigue before the game. "No, not at all," Abreu said when asked whether he had changed his approach at the plate. "In fact, it's not an injury. It's just something that's bothering me and I'm working at (in therapy)."

UP NEXT

Tigers RHP Rick Porcello (15-8, 3.06 ERA) will oppose White Sox LHP Jose Quintana (6-10, 3.48 ERA) in the series finale Sunday.

DE AZA DEAL

The White Sox traded OF Alejandro De Aza to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for minor league right-handers Mark Blackmar and Miguel Chalas.

LA RUSSA, JACKIE ROBINSON KIDS GET THEIR DUE

Ex-White Sox manager Tony La Russa and the Jackie Robinson West Little League team on Chicago's South Side were honored before the second game.

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