CHICAGO (AP) — Colt Keith hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the eighth inning to help the major league-leading Detroit Tigers beat the lowly Chicago White Sox 5-4 on a rainy Wednesday night.
The Tigers regrouped after blowing a four-run lead and bounced back from an 8-1 pounding the previous day.
Wenceel Pérez was ruled safe at second with a leadoff double to center against Brandon Eisert (2-1) in the eighth after a successful replay challenge by Detroit. He scored with one out on Colt Keith’s bloop double down the left field line that landed just fair beyond a sliding left fielder Andrew Benintendi’s glove, making it 5-4.
Will Vest (5-0) pitched two scoreless innings, and Tommy Kahnle worked the ninth for his eighth save in 11 chances.
The Tigers tagged White Sox starter Jared Shuster for four runs in the first after a 95-minute delay. Riley Greene drove in two with a single and scored in the inning.
Chicago’s Mike Tauchman hit an RBI double and scored in the third. Benintendi doubled leading off the fourth and came around when Josh Rojas chased Tigers starter Sawyer Gipson-Long with a sacrifice fly. Benintendi tied it at 4 in the fifth with a bases-loaded sac fly against Tyler Holton.
Gipson-Long lasted 3 2/3 innings in his first start in nearly two years, allowing three runs and five hits. The 27-year-old right-hander missed last season with elbow and hip injuries that required surgery.
Shuster, the opener in a bullpen game, gave up four runs and five hits in one inning.
Key moment
Both teams loaded the bases in the fifth. The Tigers came away empty-handed when Steven Wilson struck out Colt Keith. After Benintendi tied it in the bottom half, pinch hitter Austin Slater flied to center, ending the inning.
Key stat
The Tigers have won 20 of 25 against Chicago.
Up next
The Tigers send RHP Casey Mize (6-1, 2.82 ERA) to the mound Thursday, while the White Sox go with Sean Burke (3-6, 4.20). ___
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