Tigers complete doubleheader sweep of White Sox

[July 25, 2009]  DETROIT (AP) -- Clete Thomas drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning to force home the tiebreaking run, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox 4-3 on Friday night for a sweep of their day-night doubleheader.

Carlos Guillen, just activated from the disabled list, homered to help Detroit increase its AL Central lead to two games over the White Sox. One day after Mark Buehrle pitched the 18th perfect game in major league history, Chicago lost twice.

Justin Verlander (11-5) threw a six-hitter in the opener, allowing only an unearned run in the Tigers' 5-1 victory over Jose Contreras (4-9).

Scott Linebrink (2-5) loaded the bases in the eighth inning of the nightcap. Placido Polanco singled and Magglio Ordonez doubled with one out before Miguel Cabrera was intentionally walked.

Matt Thornton struck out pinch-hitter Ryan Raburn, then walked Thomas on a 3-2 pitch.

Brandon Lyon (4-4) pitched a perfect inning for the win and Fernando Rodney worked the ninth for his 21st save in 21 chances.

Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye hit home runs for the White Sox.

Thome gave Chicago a 1-0 lead when he hit his 17th homer leading off the second. Thome drove Eddie Bonine's first pitch deep into the left-center stands, an estimated 428 feet.

Guillen tied it with his one-out shot in the second. He sent Bartolo Colon's 3-1 delivery deep into the right-field seats for his first home run of the season.

Dye put the White Sox ahead 3-1 with a two out, two-run homer in the third. It came on a 3-2 pitch for his 22nd home run.

Detroit tied it at 3 with two in the fifth. Dusty Ryan singled home a run and the other one scored on Polanco's fielder's choice grounder.

Bonine allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings. He was recalled from Triple-A Toledo between games to make the start.

Colon gave up three runs and six hits in seven innings.

In the opener, Verlander got out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the ninth to finish his sixth career complete game.

"That felt good, especially because Skip (manager Jim Leyland) had the confidence to let me finish it," he said. "After they loaded the bases, I was looking into the dugout and I really didn't want to see him coming for me."

Verlander allowed three hits through eight innings, but the first three batters of the ninth all lined clean singles. Gordon Beckham grounded into a 1-2-3 double play, and Verlander retired DeWayne Wise to end the game.

"He's a horse, and we saw that again today," Leyland said. "He's just a very special talent."

Verlander was twice clocked at 100 mph during Wise's at-bat, the last coming on his 125th pitch.

"He's got a gift," Tigers catcher Gerald Laird said. "When they loaded the bases, he just reared back and started hitting 100 on the gun. He's got unbelievable stuff."

Verlander struggled with his control early, walking four batters in the first five innings. But he didn't allow a hit after the fourth until the ninth.

"I was worried, because he got out of sync, but he got it back together," Leyland said. "That's the difference between this year and last year."

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen didn't think his team had a letdown after Buehrle's perfect game.

"Verlander was just dominating," Guillen said.

Detroit went up 4-1 in the seventh on RBI singles by Adam Everett and Polanco. The Tigers scored their final run on Laird's suicide squeeze in the eighth. They matched a season best with three stolen bases.

"We didn't have runs coming in bunches, so we had to play small ball," Laird said. "That's how you win games some of the time."

Chicago left the bases loaded in the second and stranded two more runners in the third.

NOTES: The White Sox said reports that the ball from the last out of Buehrle's perfect game was lost were incorrect. A club spokesman said the team has the ball. Chicago's Josh Fields gave the ball to a Major League Baseball authenticator after the game on Thursday. The authenticator subsequently gave it to a White Sox official. ... Guillen was activated before the first game and played both games of the doubleheader. He had spent most of the season on the DL with a sore shoulder.

[Associated Press]

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