Tigers rally to beat White Sox 13-8

[August 16, 2010]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Johnny Damon hit a go-ahead, two-run triple in the eighth inning, Jhonny Peralta homered twice and the Detroit Tigers rallied to beat the Chicago White Sox 13-8 on Sunday.

Miguel Cabrera and Ryan Raburn also connected for the Tigers, who won for only the third time in 16 road games. Detroit also snapped a string of 10 straight road series losses dating to a two-game sweep at Oakland in May.

The White Sox wrapped up a disappointing 2-4 homestand that opened with them tied with the Twins for the AL Central lead and finished with them three back of Minnesota. Chicago opens a key three-game series against the Twins on Tuesday night at Target Field.

Paul Konerko hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the sixth inning to give the White Sox a 7-5 lead, but the Tigers battled back against a fatigued White Sox bullpen.

Cabrera went deep against Sergio Santos in the seventh and Detroit added three more in the eighth. Damon had the key two-out hit against J.J. Putz (5-5), but center fielder Andruw Jones dropped pinch-hitter Brandon Inge's fly ball for a run-scoring error that made it 9-7.

After Jones homered in the White Sox eighth, Detroit put the game away with four runs in the ninth. Peralta went deep against Tony Pena, Don Kelly had a two-run single and Inge drove in Austin Jackson with a fielder's choice.

Putz yielded three runs, two earned, and two hits in the eighth. The struggling right-hander gave up Alex Avila's two-run homer in the ninth inning of Saturday's 3-2 loss.

The White Sox have lost five of eight at home after a 19-1 stretch at U.S. Cellular Field. They have dropped six of eight overall.

Brad Thomas (5-1) pitched a scoreless seventh for the victory.

Tigers starter Armando Galarraga got into a heated exchange with Avila after a scoreless first inning. The right-hander allowed four runs, three earned, and seven hits in five innings.

After not getting out of the third inning in Tuesday's loss to the Twins, Freddy Garcia was tagged for five runs and eight hits in five innings for Chicago.

The Tigers led 5-1 before the White Sox scored three times in the fifth and sixth. Alexei Ramirez hit a tying a single before Konerko's 29th homer.

NOTES: White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper was ejected in the seventh inning for arguing balls and strikes with plate umpire Jeff Nelson. ... White Sox reliever Bobby Jenks (back spasms) was unavailable. The White Sox will decide on Tuesday if Jenks will be placed on the DL. ... Tigers closer Jose Valverde was unavailable with a strained oblique. He is day to day.

[Associated Press]

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