Andrew Vaughn hits tiebreaking single, Chicago White Sox beat Tigers 6-4
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 13: Andrew Vaughn #25 of the Chicago White Sox hits a RBI single in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field on August 13, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
CHICAGO - Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning for the second consecutive night, AJ Pollock homered in the eighth and the Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 6-4 on Saturday night.
Vaughn had three hits for the White Sox, who moved within 2 1/2 games of AL Central leader Cleveland.
Liam Hendriks worked around Kerry Carpenter’s first major league hit — a single — and a walk in the ninth for the closer’s 25th save in 28 chances.
Akil Baddoo and Harold Castro each had a pair of hits and Riley Greene drove in three runs for the Tigers, who have dropped six straight and nine of 10.
Vaughn’s RBI single off Joe Jiménez (3-2) gave the White Sox a 5-4 lead in the seventh. José Abreu singled and moved to second on Yasmani Grandal’s flyout. A replay confirmed Abreu was safe, and he scored on Vaughn’s third hit.
"That was huge of Pito right there, tagging up on a ball to center field from first base," Vaughn said of Abreu. "Close play but ended up next at-bat, and I got a base hit up the middle. I got a good pitch to hit, I thought. A little slider down, kind of mishit it, but it went through the hole and it worked."
Vaughn also hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning of Chicago’s 2-0 victory over the Tigers on Friday.
Pollock hit his sixth homer in the eighth off Andrew Chafin.
Lucas Giolito (9-6) overcame a rough second inning, allowing four runs and eight hits in seven innings. He struck out seven and walked one. He retired 12 consecutive batters after allowing a go-ahead double to Eric Haase in the third. Baddoo singled off Giolito in the seventh before Giolito induced an inning-ending double play.
"I could have done a better job limiting damage that (second) inning, but I was angry," Giolito said. "A lot of times when you’re angry, it can turn into frustration. That takes you out of it. But I made it a point to channel it into aggression toward executing pitches and started finding a rhythm in the fourth, fifth inning and carried it through seven."
Matt Manning allowed four runs and 10 hits in five innings for Detroit.
"Manning’s got a really good fastball," Vaughn said. "Our approach was just stay on that fastball as much as we can and then get to their bullpen and let’s have good at-bats."
Abreu’s sacrifice fly put the White Sox ahead in the first.
Detroit took a 3-1 lead in the second on Greene’s three-run double off the left-field wall.
Chicago tied it at 3 in the bottom of the inning with Leury García’s single and Pollock’s sac fly.
Haase doubled off Giolito and the Tigers retook the lead, 4-3, in the third.
The White Sox tied it again on Eloy Jiménez’s RBI single in the fourth.
Chicago improved to 42-17 against the Tigers since 2019.
EARLY EXIT
Detroit manager A.J. Hinch was ejected in the seventh inning after talking to the umpire crew about the replay of Abreu advancing on the flyout.
"We saw the replay because they showed it on the big board, as big a screenshot as you can get," Hinch said.
"I think we’re all frustrated with replay at some level across the league," he added. "It gets it right a lot of times. Sometimes it’s frustrating. In a game like that, I’m going to defend the guys."
BIG MOMENT
Carpenter was thinking of giving the ball from his first hit to his mother.
"It’s a relief it finally happened," said Carpenter, who had been 0 for 8. "But I knew if I just kept taking good at-bats and worked on my approach and stuff, it’d come eventually."
LOOKING AHEAD
Tigers RHP Bryan Garcia will be promoted from Triple-A Toledo to start Game 2 of Monday’s doubleheader at Cleveland, Hinch said. RHP Drew Hutchison is scheduled to start Game 1.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: OF Luis Robert (sprained left wrist) was out of the lineup. He exited Friday’s victory over Detroit after colliding with 2B Jonathan Schoop while trying to steal second base. Robert was experiencing soreness and tightness, manager Tony La Russa said. ... RHP Joe Kelly is feeling better after he left Thursday’s loss at Kansas City with lightheadedness, La Russa said. ... RHP Vince Velasquez (right index finger blister) was with the White Sox Saturday after his rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte. La Russa said the team has yet to make a decision about Velasquez.
UP NEXT
LHP Tyler Alexander (2-6, 3.83 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Tigers against White Sox RHP Lance Lynn (2-5, 5.88) on Sunday.