CHICAGO – Jose Quintana pitched effectively into the eighth inning, Alex Rios and A.J. Pierzynski hit back-to-back homers in the sixth and the White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 6-1 Monday night to increase their AL Central lead to three games.
The Sox had lost seven straight to Detroit, managed just two hits against Rick Porcello (9-12) and were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position when an error on Detroit second baseman Omar Infante gave them an opening.
Infante muffed Dewayne Wise’s easy, one-out grounder in the sixth. Paul Konerko singled to left to put runners at the corners and Rios lined a pitch over the wall in left center, his 23rd homer of the season. Pierzynski followed with his 26th to center field for a 4-1 lead, ending Porcello’s night and sending him to his sixth straight loss. Gordon Beckham added a two-run shot in the eighth off Octavio Dotel.
Quintana (6-4), who was 1-3 in his previous 10 starts, retired 10 straight before walking Ryan Raburn with two outs in the eight and being replaced by Brian Omogrosso.
Miguel Cabrera doubled before Donnie Veal got Prince Fielder to ground out to second.
Quintana had failed to make it out of the fourth inning in his two previous outings but settled down after a shaky start Monday night and allowed one run on seven hits — none after Gerald Lair’s fifth inning double — in 7 2-3 innings. He walked two and struck out seven.
Porcello, 3-0 this season against the White Sox entering the game, gave up five hits and four runs — three earned — in 5 1-3 innings. Detroit made three errors in the game, and the Tigers have now lost four straight.
Delmon Young, who led Detroit’s three-game sweep of the White Sox at Comerica Park a little more than a week ago, continued his tear with a one-out single in the second, moved on up on Quintana’s wild pitch and scored on Jhonny Peralta’s RBI single. Peralta was thrown out trying to stretch or it could have an even bigger inning since Avisail Garcia and Omar Infante followed with infield singles before Quintana got the third out.
NOTES: White Sox DH Adam Dunn missed his fourth straight game with a strained right oblique. 3B Kevin Youkilis returned to the team after missing three games to be with his wife as she gave birth to their child. And manager Robin Ventura said it’s likely Gavin Floyd will return to the rotation for Wednesday’s Game 3. He’s been on the DL since Aug. 28 with a right elbow strain. ... Young entered the game with a .359 average in 36 games at U.S. Cellular Field with seven homers and 25 RBIs. ... Detroit still leads the season series 10-5. ... It’s Detroit’s Doug Fister (8-8) against Chicago’s Jake Peavy (10-10) in Tuesday night’s Game 2 of the pivotal four-game series.
