After relinquishing first place in the American League Central for the first time in 10 weeks, the Chicago White Sox wasted little time returning to the top of the division.
Chicago will try to remain steady on Friday night as a four-game series against the visiting Detroit Tigers continues.
Chicago (78-75) defeated Detroit 3-1 in Thursday’s series opener to draw even with idle Cleveland atop the division. The White Sox hold the tiebreaker over the Guardians by winning the season series.
Chicago first baseman Munetaka Murakami went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and a triple on Thursday to show signs of breaking out of a prolonged slump. Murakami was 5-for-52 (.096) with 31 strikeouts in September entering Thursday’s game.
He hit his first home run since Sept. 9, his club-leading 32nd of the season, as Chicago regrouped. Wednesday’s 6-3 loss to the Guardians dropped the White Sox out of first place for the first time since July 3.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve been hitting home runs, and I’ve been disappointing the team all along,” Murakami said through an interpreter, “so I’m really just glad to hit one off and help the team win.”
Kevin McGonigle singled twice as the Tigers out-hit the White Sox 8-5. But Detroit registered just one extra-base hit, a Dillon Dingler double in the fifth inning.
Riley Greene extended his hitting streak to seven games for the Tigers and is batting .414 (12-of-29) in that span.
Detroit (72-81) has lost two games in a row on the heels of a six-game winning streak. The Tigers fell six games out of the final AL wild-card spot with nine to play.
Friday’s pitching matchup will pit a pair of rookies as Detroit left-hander Andrew Sears (0-1, 5.40 ERA) faces Chicago right-hander David Sandlin (2-2, 5.64).
Sears has made four starts totaling just 16 2/3 innings, allowing 10 runs on 19 hits and four walks with 13 strikeouts.
Facing the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, he allowed four runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings with one walk, one hit batter and a career-high five strikeouts in his team’s 11-7 victory. Sears said he remains determined to work through early adjustments, including dealing with gamesmanship displayed by batters who step out of the box at times.
“I am used to working fast,” Sears said. “The pitch clock has never affected me, but it does work into the mind games with the hitters. They like to slow the game down, and I would like to keep going fast.”
Recalled from Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday to start against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sandlin was perfect over the first 5 1/3 innings before faltering.
He recorded just one more out while giving up three unearned runs and two hits with five strikeouts. He took the loss in his first major league appearance since Aug. 7 as the White Sox fell 3-1.
Neither Sandlin nor Sears has faced Friday’s opponent yet in their careers.
Chicago shortstop Colson Montgomery is day-to-day with left wrist soreness. He missed Thursday’s game after he was hit by a pitch Wednesday against Cleveland and is receiving treatment.
“We’ll see,” White Sox manager Will Venable said of Montgomery’s availability. “I can’t really predict how he’s going to respond to the treatment, but the hope is that he does respond well, and we’ll see where he’s at (Friday).”
The White Sox improved to 7-3 against Detroit with the win to clinch the season series. They are 29-17 against American League Central teams.
–Field Level Media
