Tigers complete sweep of White Sox

[June 06, 2016]  DETROIT -- It was kind of a mystery.
 
 Why would a team laden with right-handed hitters, as the Detroit Tigers are, scuffle so against left-handed pitching?

Detroit was 3-8 against southpaws entering a weekend series against a Chicago White Sox team that was throwing three lefty starters in a row against the Tigers.

Three games later and the Tigers' record vs. lefties is 6-8 after Detroit swept Chicago, the third win coming Sunday in the form of a 5-2 victory over the slumping White Sox.

Justin Verlander held Chicago to five hits over seven innings, two of them solo home runs, with struggling Justin Upton negating those with a two-run double at the end of a four-run fifth inning.

"We haven't hit lefties as well this year as we think we should," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said, "so maybe it's a matter of things correcting themselves.

"Chris Sale and Jose Quintana are clearly two of the best lefties in baseball. The way we've been swinging against lefties, you don't know what's going to happen (entering the series), but you felt like it should eventually turn around. It was a little bit better this series, obviously.

"We get another lefty Monday in (Toronto's J.A.) Happ."

Shane Greene worked his second perfect inning of relief in as many days since coming off the disabled list and Francisco Rodriguez converted his 17th straight save to complete the sweep.

Verlander (5-5) allowed a two-out home run to Jose Abreu, his seventh, in the first and a second solo shot to Todd Frazier, his 18th, with two out in the sixth. Verlander walked one and struck out eight.

"We needed the series," he said. "Coming off a tough (2-4) road trip, it's nice to get back home and play well. Especially against a team in our division."

Keeping the ship above water has now become a priority for the White Sox, who have followed a 23-10 start with a 6-18 stretch.

"These last three games were tough," said former Detroit catcher Alex Avila, who was facing ex-teammate Verlander for the first time. "Their lineup was tough to get through. When I look at the games, it's not really that far off.

"I think at times we all try to press a little bit knowing how much we've struggled, but really over the course of six months, as a team, I think as a staff you have to trust that the talent on the field will kind of even things out and overcome it.

"You've got to forget things and move on to the next day and come back ready to play."

"That's a tough lineup to get through," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. "Quintana had a high pitch count, a lot of 3-2 counts, even getting into the fifth there."

The Tigers squared the score, 1-1, with two out in the third when Cameron Maybin walked and scored on a double to left by Miguel Cabrera.

Tigers catcher James McCann (34) and relief pitcher Francisco Rodriguez (57) celebrate after the game against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park. Detroit won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Upton, trying to work his way out of a season of disappointment, sat on a 3-0 fastball with two out in the fifth and drove it sharply into extreme left field for his bases-loaded, two-run double to increase Detroit's lead to 5-1. It was his second hit of the game.

"I gave him the green light and I'm sure he was looking for a fastball on a 3-0 count," Ausmus said. "He had two lines drive to left and actually the last one to right looked real good as well."

Ian Kinsler had singled with one out and stopped at third when Maybin's soft pop fly dropped into right for a double. Cabrera was walked intentionally and, after Victor Martinez popped out foul to first for the second out, Quintana walked J.D. Martinez on a 3-2 pitch to break the 1-1 tie.

Nick Castellanos hit a sharp infield single to short that made it 3-1 and Upton, who sat out Saturday's game as a mental day off because he was hitting .214, lined his double to left to chase Quintana (5-6).

Miguel Gonzalez got the final out and pitched the sixth in his first bullpen appearance after being bumped from the rotation by Chicago's acquisition of James Shields. Quintana allowed nine hits, walked three (one intentionally) and struck out four.

NOTES: RHP James Shields, just acquired from San Diego by Chicago, will make his first start for the White Sox on Wednesday, manager Robin Ventura said Sunday. ... Tigers manager Brad Ausmus would prefer a power guy in the No. 2 spot in his batting order but for now is sticking with CF Cameron Maybin, a contact hitter. ... The White Sox are shifting RHP Miguel Gonzalez to the bullpen to make room for Shields in the rotation. ... The Tigers have an eight-pitcher bullpen, one more than usual, but it is still tight because two of them are struggling, RHP Mark Lowe and RHP Anibal Sanchez.

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