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 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.
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reserved.]
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