White Sox can’t get bats going against Tigers, who snap 4-game skid
DETROIT — Carson Kelly hit an early 2-run homer, Jack Flaherty was solid into the sixth inning and the Detroit Tigers snapped a four-game losing streak by holding on to edge the White Sox 2-1 on Friday night.
The game ended when Paul DeJong, who was hit by a pitch with one out in the ninth, lost track of the outs and took off running on pinch-hitter Andrew Benintendi's flyout. He was doubled off first.
“Mental lapse there. I was worried about getting on base and just didn't keep track of it,” DeJong said. “That's totally on me and it cost us the game, so it feels pretty bad. Just going to try to do better next time, that's all I can say.”
Flaherty (5-4) allowed one run and five hits while striking out eight in 5⅔ innings. Beau Brieske went 1⅔ innings in relief and Jason Foley got four outs for his 13th save.
The Tigers scored a total of three runs during their losing streak — and Kelly's homer was just enough to end the slide.
“That was a big one,” first baseman Mark Canha said. “Just to get us on the right track and get us feeling good going into tomorrow with the short turnaround. It was nice to get it, for sure, and Jack led the way.”
Kelly's homer off Erick Fedde (5-2) followed a one-out double by Justin-Henry Malloy in the second inning. It was Kelly's fourth home run of the season.
“It was a good win for us. Obviously a weird ending where Benintendi came off the bench and we're hoping for a groundball double play,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “We ended up getting a double play a different way. But it was nice to shake hands at the end of the day. We put together a good game against at good pitcher who has been very effective across the league this year.”
Fedde allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings. He retired the last 14 batters he faced.
Tommy Pham homered for the White Sox, who have lost three straight.
Chicago is 5-20 against American League Central Division opponents, including a 1-11 road record. It's the White Sox's worst start since the three-division format began in 1994.
Pham's fourth homer with two out in the fifth cut Detroit's lead to 2-1.
Flaherty departed in the sixth after issuing a four-pitch walk to Oscar Casas.
“You want to go deeper in games,” he said. “I'd like to finish that one, a four-pitch walk. I had different things to go to there and just could not execute. But you get some of those quick innings and get some quick outs and you get to go deeper.”
Outfielder Duke Ellis was claimed off waivers by the New York Mets. Ellis, who was primarily used as a pinch-runner in eight major-league appearances, had been designated for assignment.
White Sox rookie pitcher Drew Thorpe (0-1, 8.64 ERA) will make his third start on Saturday in the second game of the three-game series. He'll face Kenta Maeda (2-3, 6.02 ERA).