CHICAGO — Another day, another loss for the Chicago White Sox. The sky is still blue. Water is still wet.
Detroit starting pitcher Tarik Skubal pitched five innings and gave up three runs on eight hits to go with eight strikeouts and no walks for his 15th victory of the year, while Chicago rookie starter Ky Bush managed three innings where he gave up five runs on eight hits with one strikeout and one walk in a losing effort.
From a broad perspective, the game looked competitive for a split-second after the White Sox tagged Tigers ace Tarik Skubal for three runs in one half-inning early on, but as has been the case for the vast majority of the 2024 MLB season, Chicago just dug themselves into a deeper hole as soon as it looked like things might get good.
Here’s how things played out.
Game Recap
Detroit scored early and often on Saturday against the White Sox.
Matt Vierling led off the game with a double down the left field line and was plated one batter later when Andy Ibanez hit a sharp single to left off Bush, making it 1-0 Tigers.
Detroit scored four more runs in the top of the third, starting with a solo home run from Vierling that was followed by a RBI groundout from Colt Keith, a RBI double from Jake Rogers, and a Parker Meadows RBI single to centerfield to make it 5-0.
The home half of the third was the one sliver of hope for Chicago Saturday night.
The White Sox turned around and notched four straight hits — A lead-off double from Dominic Fletcher, then three straight singles from Brooks Baldwin, Corey Julks and Luis Robert Jr. — To score two runs and make it a 5-2 lead for the Tigers.
Chicago inched even closer after Andrew Vaughn chased home Julks on a 105.1 mph single back up the middle to make the score 5-3, but that’s as close as the White Sox would come against Detroit in game No. 130.
Touki Toussaint came on in relief of Bush in the top of the fourth, and promptly walked the bases loaded before Riley Greene plated Ryan Kreidler on a fielder’s choice, Torkelson drove in Vierling on a RBI single, and Rogers drove in both Greene and Torkelson with a two-out, two-RBI single of his own to make it 9-3 Tigers.
Toussaint’s final line was 0.2 innings pitched where he gave up four earned runs on two hits and three walks across 35 pitches (19 for strikes).
Vaughn managed a second RBI single, also right back up the middle, in the seventh inning to make the game 9-4, but that rounded out the offense for Chicago before the Tigers poured on four more runs in the top of the ninth.
Keith hit a two-run home run before Zach McKinstry notched a two-run home run of his own and brought the game to its final score, 13-4.
Up Next
The Chicago White Sox take on the Detroit Tigers in the finale of their three-game series Sunday, with first pitch set for 1:10 p.m.
Jonathan Cannon (2-7, 4.26) is set to start for the White Sox.