LDN - Sports

Tigers beat White Sox to snap four-game losing streak

[May 01, 2017] DETROIT -- Jordan Zimmermann hopes he has fixed some bad habits that crept in while he was hurt most of last season.

Zimmermann was pegged one of the keys to Detroit's season by Tigers manager Brad Ausmus during the winter and he's off to a 3-1 start despite a 6.18 ERA.

Zimmerman lasted just one batter into the sixth inning Sunday, but he was the beneficiary of an offensive surge that allowed Detroit to end a four-game losing streak and the Chicago White Sox's six-game winning streak with a 7-3 victory.

Jim Adduci keyed a four-run fourth with an RBI double, Jose Iglesias had a two-run double and Justin Upton tagged a solo home run.

"I never was really comfortable (after April) last year," Zimmermann said. "I had a good spring and I felt good, but I had a couple of bad starts and wasn't feeling comfortable. I looked at film from early last year and when I was with Washington.

"I saw what I saw. I worked on it in one bullpen and I felt good."

Zimmermann, who allowed three runs and seven hits, is standing up straighter with his feet closer together pitching out of the stretch and he has eliminated some moving parts to his windup delivery.

"He was good," Ausmus said. "He was a little bit sharper, slider had a little bit more depth. It was good.

"I know he was trying to get back to where he was with the Nationals, mechanically speaking. Hopefully, this is the start of a good run for him, that can clean it up."

Todd Frazier chased Zimmermann when he led off the sixth with his third home run of the season, a liner to deep left center that made it 7-3.

Blaine Hardy, Shane Greene, Alex Wilson and Francisco Rodriguez each worked a scoreless inning of relief to nail down the win for Detroit.

Iglesias' two-run double put Detroit up 7-2 in the fifth after Chicago pulled up to 5-2 on an RBI single to center by Melky Cabrera in the top of the inning.

Adduci's RBI double broke a 1-1 tie and started the four-run fourth against Miguel Gonzalez (3-1). John Hicks grounded an RBI single to center, Iglesias had an RBI groundout and Nick Castellanos lined an RBI single to right for a 5-1 Tigers lead.

Adduci is hitting .400 in six games and fellow call-up Hicks is batting .423 in seven games. Alex Avila had three hits for the Tigers.

"They've been a tremendous help, especially offensively," Ausmus said of one-week wonders Adduci and HIcks. "They've helped on the defensive side as well.

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White Sox starting pitcher Miguel Gonzalez (58) throws against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

"But offensively, they've filled in for some pretty good offensive players in (injured) Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez. It gives us a little flexibility with a left-handed bat -- right-handed bat for Hicks -- and we can move guys around, whereas normally, we have just a set lineup. But the games we won, they've been a bit part of the offense."

Gonzalez was roughed up for 14 hits in six innings, with one of his seven runs allowed being unearned. He walked one and fanned one.

"I thought all things being equal, with Gonzo, the outcome wasn't the best, but he sure did eat up some innings, save our 'pen," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "He did a very nice job of continuing to grind. We were still in the ballgame. We never really were out of it."

Chris Beck turned in two hitless shutout innings of relief to let Renteria rest some relievers he had been calling on a lot lately.

"He was very good," Renteria said. "I thought we needed to have a couple of innings eaten up and he did the job. Big. Very big. We talk to the relievers about getting outs and he did."

Upton opened the second inning by hitting his fifth home run for Detroit, a shot to left tying the score at 1.

Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the first on a two-out single to right by Cabrera plus an RBI triple to right center by Jose Abreu.

NOTES: Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said 1B Miguel Cabrera (right groin) is on track to come off the disabled list Tuesday when eligible. ... OF Jacob May hasn't started for the White Sox since April 23, but manager Rick Renteria said Sunday, "You'll see him in the next couple days (in Kansas City), I'm sure." ... The Tigers have played the most day games in the majors through Sunday (17) and are 10-7 in those games. ... White Sox RF Avisail Garcia left in the fifth inning with left groin tightness.

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