Tigers earn split with 7-1 win over White Sox

[August 04, 2010]  DETROIT (AP) -- The Detroit Tigers quickly bounced back from a bad beating.

Jeremy Bonderman allowed one run in 6 2-3 innings, Brennan Boesch and Johnny Damon each drove in two runs, and the Tigers earned a split of a day-night doubleheader with a 7-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.

Damon was 3 for 5.

Chicago won the first game 12-2 as Juan Pierre homered for the first time in almost two years.

"When you get your butts kicked in, nobody wants to let it happen again," Boesch said.

Bonderman (6-6) allowed five hits, walking one and striking out five.

"Bonderman kept us off balance, pretty much," Pierre said. "He was hitting his spots. Not working in the middle of the plate but on the edges."

Carlos Torres (0-1), who was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte before the first game, was the loser, giving up five runs and nine hits in six innings with five walks and four strikeouts.

He gave up all of the runs in the first two innings.

"Just a little too pumped up going out there in the first inning," said Torres, who was optioned back to Charlotte after the second game.

Detroit took a 1-0 lead in the first on Boesch's bases-loaded fielder's choice grounder.

The Tigers made it 5-0 while batting around in the second. Alex Avila's RBI double into the left-field corner plated the first run, Will Rhymes hit a two-out, run-scoring single and Damon and Boesch each had two-out, run-producing doubles.

Konerko put Chicago on the board in the seventh with his 26th home run.

Detroit added two runs in the eighth on pitcher Tony Pena's throwing error and Damon's fielder's choice.

Alex Rios and Dayan Viciedo also connected for the White Sox in the opener.

Mark Buehrle (10-8) pitched into the eighth inning, allowing two runs and seven hits. It's the 10th straight season he has won at least 10 games.

Pierre also doubled, drove in two runs and stole his league-leading 40th base, the 499th of his career. Pierre's previous home run has was Sept. 15, 2008. He lined a shot from Rick Porcello over the right-field fence to lead off the fifth.

"If you go to Vegas to bet, you wouldn't bet that Juan Pierre would hit a home run in Detroit," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. "This is one of the toughest places to hit a home run."

It was Pierre's second career home run at Comerica Park. He hit an inside-the-park homer in Detroit in 2004, while a member of the Florida Marlins.

"I was real surprised, it was a breaking ball," said the speedy leadoff man, who has 14 career homers. "I hit it good. Now guys can get off my back."

Rios, Gordon Beckham and Alexei Ramirez drove in two runs each.

Porcello (4-10) was tagged for seven runs and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings and was chased as the White Sox took a 7-1 lead in the fifth.

"When I wanted to throw certain pitches for strikes, especially in big situations, I would either throw a ball or miss out over the plate," Porcello said.

Detroit fell below .500 and dropped eight games behind Chicago. Austin Jackson had three hits for the Tigers. Buehrle walked one and struck out one in 7 2-3 innings.

"It could have been an ugly game," he said. "I didn't have good command and fell behind a lot early."

Scott Linebrink went the rest of the way.

Chicago took a 4-0 lead in the third. Pierre's double brought in the first run, Omar Vizquel hit a sacrifice fly, and Rios and Paul Konerko followed with consecutive RBI singles.

Jackson had an RBI single in the third.

Beckham's sacrifice fly in the fifth made it 5-1. Pierre homered in the fifth and one out later Rios hit his 17th homer.

The White Sox added four more runs in the seventh. Mark Kotsay and Beckham hit RBI singles and Ramirez had a two-run double. Viciedo hit his third home run in the eighth.

Jeff Frazier had an RBI single for the Tigers in the eighth.

NOTES: Vizquel was 3 for 3 in the nightcap. With his 2,758th hit, he moved past Vada Pinson into sole possession of 49th place on the career list. ... Damon was Detroit's DH for both games of the doubleheader after missing three games with a sore back. ... Konerko's home run was estimated at 424 feet. ... Jackson has 122 hits, which leads AL rookies and is the most by a Tigers' rookie since Milt Cuyler had 122 in 1991.

[Associated Press]

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