Friday, August 01, 2014
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White Sox pound out 7-4 win over Tigers

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[August 01, 2014]  DETROIT -- The Chicago White Sox got production up and down their order to complete a successful road trip.

Adam Eaton, the team's leadoff hitter, had three hits, scored two runs and drove in two while right fielder Moises Sierra, the No. 8 hitter, supplied four hits to lift the White Sox to a 7-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday afternoon at Comerica Park.

The White Sox collected 16 hits while completing a 5-2 road swing.

"It ended on a good note," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "Guys were swing the bat today early on, putting the pressure on. When you have the bottom of the order swinging like that, you have a chance to score some runs."

It also helps to have Eaton, a center fielder who was acquired from Arizona during the offseason, fulfilling his role as a catalyst. He batted .441 during the trip.

"He's been getting on base and doing a lot of extra stuff as far as being a pain on the bases and getting on base," Ventura said. "This is exactly why we wanted him in the first place."



White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 20 games, the longest in the American League this season.

Richard Belisario (4-7) worked 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the victory and Jake Petricka notched his sixth save. Starter John Danks was charged with four runs and seven hits in five innings but did not factor in the decision.

"I felt like I had a decent fastball, but I wasn't throwing anything else consistently where I wanted to for a strike," Danks said. "I don't feel like I did my part as much as the other guys, but we won the game."

The Tigers (58-47) experienced a roller-coaster afternoon on and off the field. They acquired All-Star pitcher David Price from Tampa just before Thursday's 4 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline, dealing Thursday's starting pitcher, Drew Smyly, and minor league infielder Willy Adames to Tampa and center fielder Austin Jackson to Seattle in a three-team blockbuster.

Jackson knew something strange was going on when he saw Rajai Davis running onto the field to take his place during the top of the seventh inning.

"Once I saw Rajai come to the top step, I pretty much knew what was going on," said Jackson, who had two hits in his final game with the club. "It was kind of a sad moment. That last run off the field was pretty tough. I wanted to go hug all my teammates. It was one of those little situations where you don't know what to do."

Smyly allowed a season-high 11 hits and four runs in five innings and wound up with a no-decision in his final outing with Detroit.

"I didn't see it coming," Smyly said of the trade. "I didn't want to leave here. These guys are awesome and we have a great team, a winning team, so it's hard to say goodbye."

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Chicago took a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning against reliever Joakim Soria (1-4) when designated hitter Paul Konerko was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Eaton's RBI single and shortstop Alexei Ramirez's run-scoring double off Joba Chamberlain made it 7-4 in the eighth.

Smyly gave up four consecutive hits in the second inning as the White Sox grabbed a 3-0 lead.

The Tigers responded with two runs in the bottom of the second inning on shortstop Eugenio Suarez's sacrifice fly and Jackson's RBI single.

Two-out, back-to-back homers by right fielder Torii Hunter and left fielder J.D. Martinez put the Tigers on top in the third inning. Sierra tied it at 4 in the fourth with a two-out single that brought home Konerko, who led off with a double. That gave Konerko 4,000 total bases in his career.

NOTES: Detroit SS Eugenio Suarez returned to the lineup after missing a game with lower back tightness. Suarez felt discomfort while making a throw during Tuesday's game against Chicago and departed in the fourth inning. ... Tigers LF Andy Dirks will restart his injury rehab assignment when he joins Class A West Michigan on Friday. He played six games with Class A Lakeland earlier this month, batting .313, but was shut down for two weeks after he felt soreness in his surgically-repaired back. Dirks, who has been out all season, is expected to play 20 games during the rehab stint. ... Chicago OF Avisail Garcia will serve as a designated hitter when he begins a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Friday. Garcia has been sidelined since he tore his left labrum while attempting a diving catch on April 9. ... The White Sox are 18-9 when 1B Jose Abreu homers. ... Detroit's 27-27 home record is the worst among current division leaders.

[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

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