After losing four out of their last five, the White Sox looked to right the ship against the second place Detroit Tigers. Yes, you read both the title and the first sentence right–Detroit is in second and cruised past the South Siders tonight. Dallas Keuchel hurled yet another quality start, but the offense’s struggles continued. From there, the Tigers won the battle of the bullpens and sailed to a four-run victory.
W: Daniel Norris (1-1) | L: Dallas Keuchel (2-2)
Notable Performances
Dallas Keuchel: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 ER, 4 K
Keuchel had given up just two runs over the first six innings, but exited the seventh after surrendering another run. The former Cy Young contender labored through parts of the night, but essentially did his job, something he’s done well through four starts. He’s not a flashy pitcher, but seems to be the quality #2 starter Rick Hahn set out to get.
Danny Mendick: 3-4, 1 3B, 1 R
It’s debatable whether Mendick is a legitimate force in the starting lineup, but he’s had some bright moments this season.
Other Notables:
Steve Cishek pitched a great inning, recording one strikeout and allowing no baserunners. The White Sox sorely need good bullpen arms in the absence of Aaron Bummer, and Cishek turning things around would be a nice development. Niko Goodrum was an absolute menace at the plate for the Tigers, going 4-4 with 1 RBI and 2 runs scored. Jacoby Jones broke the game open with a 2-run bomb of Codi Heuer, and Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris, and Detroit’s pen stymied Chicago’s floundering offense.
Moment of the Game
Down 2-0 with one out in the seventh, Danny Mendick provided a spark with a triple to left field. However, the Sox couldn’t muster anything more than an Adam Engel RBI groundout, and the Tigers never looked back.
Player of the Game
Mendick is the obvious choice, notching three of the Sox’s eight hits and the team’s only multi-hit effort. The top of the lineup really, really, really needs to start producing some Mendick-like showings.
Looking Ahead
Tomorrow at 6:10 pm CT, these teams will do battle again as the White Sox look to even the series and end their slump. Gio Gonzalez (0-1, 7.71 ERA) squares off with Tyler Alexander (1-0, 1.17 ERA) on NBC Sports Chicago.
