Road not friendly for Sox
DETROIT -- Good baseball teams know how to do two things.
They extend winning streaks as long as possible. And they keep losing streaks short and sweet.
The White Sox have been a good team this season, but they do have a streaky side.
Coming into Comerica Park with 7 straight wins at home, the Sox dropped their second straight to the Tigers Wednesday night, 5-1.
"I don't know,'' starting pitcher Javier Vazquez said. "I don't know if it's a coincidence or what. We played really good in Chicago. You always hear about homefield advantage, and it's true. You just have to try to play well at home and hang in there on the road.''
With 5 straight losses away from home hanging over their heads, the White Sox will try to avoid being swept by Detroit this afternoon.
At least they won't have to deal with Justin Verlander.
The Tigers' ace starter came into Wednesday with a 2-9 record and 5.05 ERA, but he looked a lot like the pitcher who threw a no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers exactly one year ago.
That also was the last complete game for a Detroit pitcher, but Verlander went the distance against the Sox while allowing 4 hits and no walks. He was a career 1-6 with a 6.14 ERA in 10 career starts against the White Sox before Wednesday's gem.
"He pounded the zone,'' said center fielder Brian Anderson, who had 2 of the Sox' 4 hits. "Against the guys who usually drive in runs for us, he mixed up his pitches really well. When you throw strikes with the stuff he has, it's going to be a short game.''
It was over quickly, and one mistake by Vazquez sealed the outcome.
In the second inning, the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera drew a leadoff walk and Edgar Renteria singled with one out. Marcus Thames followed with a 3-run homer, and that was more than enough support for Verlander.
"I threw a pretty good slider to Thames and he hit it,'' Vazquez said. "He hit it good. That 3-run homer killed me; it killed us. It put us in a hole.''
The White Sox did respond with a run in the fourth inning when Orlando Cabrera led off with a double and scored on A.J. Pierzynski's single.
It could have been a bigger inning, but right fielder Magglio Ordonez threw out Pierzynski at second base when he tried stretching the hit into a double.
After the fourth, Anderson was the Sox' only baserunner. He singled in the sixth inning and never moved and singled again leading off the ninth but was forced out at second base on a bad call by umpire Chris Tiller.
It didn't really matter much, because Verlander was simply too good.
"Verlander threw the ball great,'' Guillen said. "That was the best I've ever seen him against the White Sox. Our approach at the plate was not good, but he pitched the ball well.''
Vazquez took the loss after allowing 5 runs on 10 hits over 6 innings.
"Javy was a little bit off today and he couldn't get it together,'' Guillen said. "Against that lineup, you have to pitch well. You make one mistake and they're going to score runs.''
Tigers 5, White Sox 1
At the plate: The Sox were held to 4 hits by Justin Verlander, and Brian Anderson had 2 of them. Orlando Cabrera was 1-for-4. The shortstop is batting .419 (13-for-31) over his last seven games.
On the mound: Javier Vazquez took the loss after allowing 5 runs on 10 hits in 6 innings. Nick Masset and Esteban Loaiza each pitched 1 scoreless inning.
-- Scot Gregor