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 Miguel Cabrera hit a game-winning single in the bottom of the
ninth to allow Detroit to escape with a 4-3 win over the Chicago
White Sox on Tuesday night at Comerica Park.
Price pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out eight before
giving up three ninth-inning runs on five hits. Detroit (87-70) held
onto its one-game lead over Kansas City in the division. The Royals
defeated the Cleveland Indians 7-1.
Second baseman Ian Kinsler led off the bottom of the ninth with a
single against Jake Petricka (1-6), advanced on a walk to right
fielder Torii Hunter and scored on first baseman Cabrera's hit to
left.
Detroit manager Brad Ausmus was relieved to have his top three
hitters in the lineup coming up after blowing the lead.
"From an offensive perspective, it's the best-case scenario for us,"
he said.
Price was cruising until he gave up two hits to start the ninth.
Ausmus visited the mound after Price gave up right fielder Avisail
Garcia's one-out, two-run hit but stuck with his starter. That
decision proved costly when third baseman Marcus Semien singled in
the tying run three batters later.
"Really, I went out there thinking I was going to leave him in
unless he told me he was running out of gas," Ausmus said of Price,
who threw just 98 pitches through eight innings. "He said he was
fine. Going into the inning, letting him go back out there, I
thought it was his game."
Ausmus had a similar mound visit with Price during the eighth inning
against Seattle on Aug. 16 and Price pitched out of a jam. Price
said his manager shouldn't second-guess himself for leaving him in
again.
"It might have been the same conversation word for word," Price
said. "I didn't lie. I felt good; it's just that nothing good
happened."
Price finally came out after Semien's hit. After issuing a walk,
reliever Joe Nathan (5-4) retired second baseman Carlos Sanchez on a
flyout with the bases loaded.
Detroit center fielder Rajai Davis scored two runs, and Hunter
supplied an RBI double.
Chicago starting pitcher Scott Carroll gave up two runs (one earned)
on five hits in six-plus innings. It was one of his best outings, as
the no-decision left him with a 5-10 record.
"It was definitely a good final note with this start," Carroll said.
"It's something good to build off of. It was a tough loss, but they
have a great lineup and I was pleased with my performance."
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Petricka, who saved Chicago's 2-0 win on Monday, said, "They're a
tough lineup and (if) you give them free passes they're going to
make you pay, especially with Miggy being one of the best hitters in
the game. The only thing I can say is at least they didn't hit me
too hard."
Leading 1-0 in the seventh, Detroit tacked on two runs with the aid
of Semien's error, which put runners at the corners with one out.
Kinsler singled home pinch runner Andrew Romine, and Hunter followed
with a double to knock in Davis.
The Tigers went 18 innings without scoring until Davis manufactured
a run in the bottom of the fifth. Davis singled to left, advanced on
a groundout, then took off for third on an 0-1 pitch with Hunter
batting. Davis stole his 34th base, and when catcher Josh Phegley's
throw got past Semien, he trotted home.
Tigers left fielder J.D. Martinez took a homer away from Phegley
with a catch above the fence during the top of the fifth.
NOTES: Detroit RHP Anibal Sanchez was activated before the game.
Sanchez, who is 8-5 with a 3.46 ERA in 21 starts, had been on the
15-day disabled list since Aug. 9 with a right pectoralis strain. He
will be used as a reliever. "He could pitch anywhere from the fifth
(inning) through the end of the game," manager Brad Ausmus said. ...
The Tigers have a major-league-high 317 doubles. It is Detroit's
highest doubles total since the 2007 team set a franchise record
with 352. ... Chicago 1B Paul Konerko, who is retiring, made what
was likely his last road start and went 1-for-4. Manager Robin
Ventura does not plan to start him Wednesday. "I've been pretty
lucky to play for a long time and I've checked off a lot of boxes,"
Konerko said. "I'm fine with it." ... The White Sox are 6-4 in their
past 10 games at Comerica Park after going 3-14 in their previous 17
games at the park.
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