Tigers slip by White Sox, 2-1

Send a link to a friend  Share

[April 18, 2015]  DETROIT -- It's tough to win a challenge you elect not to make.

And Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura is certain to get roasted in many quarters for passing up a chance to challenge the ruling that shortstop Alexei Ramirez missed the tag Friday on third baseman Nick Castellanos' double to begin the ninth inning.

The decision blew up in Ventura's face when catcher Alex Avila sacrificed pinch-runner Andrew Romine to third and shortstop Jose Iglesias bounced a single up the middle to give the Detroit Tigers a 2-1 victory over the White Sox.

"I was standing out there (waiting for a call from his coaches monitoring the replay)," Ventura said. "They said he missed (the tag). You can't challenge when they say he missed it.

"You've got to go with what your guys say. I guess I could have gone out (and challenged it) anyway. If you get a 'maybe.'"

Castellano began the inning against lefty Zach Duke (1-1) by hitting a sinking liner to right that Avisail Garcia nearly caught, the ball trickling out of his glove as it hit the grass. Garcia recovered in time, though, to zip a throw to second that got to Ramirez in time for an out. But Castellanos was ruled to have squeezed his foot onto the bag before he was tagged.

Chicago had a shift on for Avila -- Gordon Beckham stationed at third and the only other left-side infielder stationed a few feet from second -- and the Detroit catcher laid down a perfect bunt that drew Beckham away from the bag to make the play. Romine made it easily to third.

"I'm glad it was Duke if it had to be a left-hander," Avila said. "Usually I get left-handers who throw 97 (mph)."

He was expecting the bunt sign and got it.

"I can bunt," he said. "There were a couple of years there where I was a finalist in the spring training bunting competition. So I'm no slouch."

Iglesias fell behind in the count 0-2 and then bounced his RBI single between the bag and drawn-in second baseman Emilio Bonifacio to give a win to closer right-hander Joakim Soria (1-0), who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.

"I was just trying to put the ball in play," Iglesias said. "I've been involved in walk-offs before, but I never had one as a hitter."

The teams traded solo home runs for their first scores.

One-time Tiger Garcia smacked left-handed starter David Price's first pitch of the second inning deep into the right-field seats for his first home run this year, putting the White Sox up 1-0.

[to top of second column]

Designated hitter Yoenis Cespedes's first home run with the Tigers was a blast off Chicago right-hander Jeff Samardzija halfway up the stands in left. It tied the score 1-1 with one out in the fourth.

Other than Garcia's home run, Chicago didn't have a runner reach second during Price's eight innings. Price gave up four hits, striking out nine and walking two.

Samardzija gave up eight hits in eight innings but didn't walk anybody, and the Tigers stranded baserunners at third four times -- with less than two out in the first and third and with two out in the fifth and seventh. Samardzija had seven strikeouts.

"You expect a low-scoring game when you have two pitchers like that hooking up," Ventura said. "Both sides were limited in what they could do because of the pitchers."

Detroit's nine wins in its first 10 games equal the best for the franchise, accomplished in 1984, 1968 and 1911.
 


NOTES: DH Victor Martinez was kept out of Detroit's lineup to give his left knee an extra day of rest. He tweaked the knee Tuesday pinch-hitting in Pittsburgh. "He'll be back in the lineup (Saturday)," manager Brad Ausmus said. ... White Sox RHP Jake Petricka, out since the end of spring training with a right forearm strain, pitched a 1-2-3 inning Thursday to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte. ... Tigers LHP Kyle Lobstein will start Tuesday in place of disabled RHP Justin Verlander, Ausmus confirmed. ... Chicago LHP Jose Quintana will start Sunday as two days off give manager Robin Ventura the opportunity to skip a starter, in this case RHP Hector Neosi.

[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Back to top