Rough opener: Giolito makes early exit with injury, then White Sox fall to Tigers in the 9th

Losing games over the marathon season is part of the baseball business, and some hurt much more than others.

The White Sox are undoubtedly stinging after building an early 3-0 lead over the Tigers in Friday's season opener before falling 5-4 on Javier Baez's walk-off single off the fence in right field.

"It's a tough, tough loss," Sox manager Tony La Russa told reporters.

Possibly losing No. 1 starter Lucas Giolito for an extended stretch would make it even tougher.

Already missing key players like Lance Lynn, Yoan Moncada, Garrett Crochet and Joe Kelly due to injuries, Giolito exited Friday's start against Detroit after the fourth inning with abdominal tightness in his left side.

He was still being evaluated after the game so the White Sox have to wait and see on Giolito's status.

"I'm concerned because knowing him he won't want to come out," La Russa said. "You have to drag him out of there. I'm concerned because he felt something. So it's really, we've got a lot riding on him getting checked and seeing what it is."

The White Sox were leading 3-1 in the eighth inning before Detroit rallied to tie the game with a pair of runs that were charged to reliever Aaron Bummer.

Andrew Vaughn hit a one-out home run in the ninth off Tigers closer Gregory Soto to put the Sox back in front, but Detroit answered back in the bottom of the inning to win it.

Eric Haase homered off Liam Hendriks to tie the game and after Austin Meadows tripled, Baez singled to end it.

New White Sox right fielder AJ Pollock appeared to catch Baez's drive on a juggle, but the ball initially hit the wall just above his outstretched glove.

"It's unfortunate how it ended, for sure," Pollock said. "If I had a little more time, I definitely would have tried to take my head off and see where I was. It was kind of a funky play. It was just a crazy game."

The White Sox took a 1-0 lead against Detroit starter Eduardo Rodriguez in the first inning on Eloy Jimenez' RBI single.

They added 2 more runs in the second on a run-scoring single from Pollock and an RBI double by Luis Robert.

In the eighth inning, the Tigers loaded the bases against Bummer, who exited with two outs. Miguel Cabrera greeted Hendriks with a 2-run single to make it a 3-3 game.