Peralta homers in 9th to lift Tigers over ChiSox

[May 05, 2012]  DETROIT (AP) -- Jhonny Peralta's two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Detroit Tigers a 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.

Chicago led 4-2 after Gordon Beckham's tiebreaking two-run shot in the seventh, but Detroit got a run back in the eighth on an RBI single by Miguel Cabrera. After Alex Avila's one-out single in the ninth, Peralta ended it with a homer to right-center off Matt Thornton (1-1).

Jose Valverde (2-0) pitched the top of the ninth for the win.

Chicago's Jake Peavy allowed three runs and seven hits in 7 2-3 innings, but the bullpen couldn't hold the lead for him.

Detroit outfielder Delmon Young was reinstated Friday from the restricted list following a seven-day suspension, but he didn't play. Young was arrested last week and accused of yelling anti-Semitic epithets in New York.

The Tigers didn't need him. Avila hit his fourth homer of the year for Detroit, and Peralta's opposite-field shot -- his first of the season -- gave the Tigers the win.

Beckham had three hits for the White Sox.

Detroit rookie Drew Smyly allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out seven.

Smyly hadn't allowed more than a run in any of his first four starts, and he had a 2-1 lead after Avila's solo shot in the fourth. But Alexei Ramirez led off the sixth with a triple and scored on Adam Dunn's sacrifice fly to tie it.

Octavio Dotel retired the first two Chicago hitters in the seventh in short order, but Brent Morel beat out a slow grounder for an infield single, and Beckham's second homer of the year made it 4-2.

Peavy, coming off back-to-back complete games, fell four outs short this time. He allowed an RBI single to Cabrera with his 122nd and final pitch, and Thornton came on and got Prince Fielder on a grounder to the mound, with part of the Detroit slugger's broken bat hitting the screen behind the plate.

The White Sox are moving Chris Sale back to the bullpen to be their closer next week, but he isn't expected to pitch in this series. So Thornton came back out for the ninth and couldn't get through it.

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the second on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Raburn. Chicago answered in the third with an RBI double from Beckham.

NOTES: Detroit RHP Doug Fister is expected to start Monday at Seattle after missing a month with a left side strain. Fister left his first start of the season April 7 in the fourth inning. ... Paul Konerko had two hits, giving him sole possession of fourth place on Chicago's career list with 2,009 -- two more than Eddie Collins. ... Tigers RHP Max Scherzer (1-3) faces Chicago RHP Gavin Floyd (2-3) on Saturday.

[Associated Press; By NOAH TRISTER]

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