Sale settles down as Sox handle Tigers in Game 1

When Chris Sale is on the mound, he usually carries the White Sox.

The tables were turned a bit Saturday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field, when the Sox' ace gave up 3 runs in the first inning on Ian Kinsler's solo home run leading off the game and Victor Martinez's 2-run shot.

The White Sox' bailed Sale out, scoring a run off Tigers ace Max Scherzer in the bottom of the first and adding 4 more in the third inning.

Sale settled down and the Sox rolled to a 6-3 win over Detroit in Game 1 of a doubleheader.

"I needed to do that because they're pulling their weight and I needed to pull mine," Sale said after pitching 7 innings and allowing 3 runs on 6 hits. The left-hander also struck out 13 and tied Hall of Famer Ed Walsh for the most double-digit strikeout games (17) in franchise history.

"Those are things for my friends and family to talk about," Sale said after improving his record to 11-3. "At the end of the year, it's the time to kind of take a step back and look back. I've got more important things to worry about right now."

Adam Dunn hit a 2-run homer off Scherzer (15-5) in the third inning, his 20th of the season. Tyler Flowers added a solo home run (No. 10) in the fourth.

"They responded great," Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "The first inning was rough. They were swinging the bat early. After that Chris settled down and he'd get to a point where he starts getting into a groove and today he did that. He was able to keep us there long enough, and we hit some homers that were big.

"I think just the guys fighting back against a great pitcher, with Scherzer on the mound you don't like your chances. But these guys grinded it out."