Perez lifts Tigers over White Sox 2-1 in 11
DETROIT -- Timo Perez's single off the right-center field wall with two outs in the 11th inning gave the Detroit Tigers a 2-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night.
Mike Hessman homered for Detroit, which stayed seven games behind the first-place Cleveland Indians in the AL Central and 3ˆ½ back of the New York Yankees in the wild-card race.
Danny Richar hit a home run for Chicago.
Brandon Inge doubled with two outs in the 11th off Heath Phillips (0-1), who was making his major league debut. Phillips intentionally walked Carlos Guillen, and Perez drove the next pitch off the fence.
Bobby Seay (2-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
Tigers left-hander Kenny Rogers, who had been on the disabled list with a sore elbow, made his first start since July 25. He missed most of the first three months of the season because of a blood clot in his left shoulder.
Rogers allowed a run and two hits in five innings, walking two and striking out six. He threw 83 pitches, 54 for strikes. Rogers was 17-8 last year in his first season with the Tigers, and 3-0 in the postseason as he didn't allow a run in 23 innings.
Chicago starter Gavin Floyd gave up a run and six hits in six innings, also walking two and striking out six.
Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the third on Richar's leadoff home run. He drove Rogers' 2-2 pitch deep into the stands down the right-field line for his fourth homer.
Detroit tied it on Hessman's leadoff home run in the fifth. His opposite-field shot, which landed in the right-center stands for his second home run, came on Floyd's 1-2 pitch.
The Tigers had a chance to take the lead, but Marcus Thames struck out with runners on second and third.
{Notes:} Tigers manager Jim Leyland said RHP Jeremy Bonderman’s elbow was a little sore after Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss to the White Sox, but didn’t think it was serious enough for Bonderman to miss his next start. ... White Sox RF Jermaine Dye remains day-to-day after injuring his left groin Tuesday night. ... Detroit had a season-high six stolen bases. Curtis Granderson and Placido Polanco each had two. Ryan Raburn and Ramon Santiago got the other two. ... Detroit C Ivan Rodriguez had two doubles to give him 500 for his career.