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Tarik Skubal tossed five strong innings, Matt Vierling homered and the host Detroit Tigers topped the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Saturday.

Skubal (5-3) allowed only two hits while striking out nine. Alex Lange retired all four batters he faced to collect his 22nd save.

Vierling reached base three times and scored two runs. Zach McKinstry added two hits and an RBI for the Tigers (65-77). Detroit clinched the season series against Chicago 7-5 with one game remaining.

Luis Robert Jr. drove in the lone run for the White Sox (55-87). Jose Urena (0-5), making his Chicago debut after being recalled from Triple-A Charlotte, gave up one run in four innings.

The Tigers had the bases loaded in the first inning and came up empty as Tyler Nevin bounced into a fielder’s choice. Detroit scored a run in the second. Jake Rogers hit a one-out single and Zack Short walked. A groundout moved up both runners.

McKinstry then swung on a 3-0 pitch and hit an infield single as Rogers scored. McKinstry was caught stealing with Spencer Torkelson batting, ending the inning.

Detroit had runners in scoring position in the fourth but Urena recovered to strike out Akil Baddoo.

Chicago’s Lenyn Sosa had a one-out single in the fifth. Skubal then struck out the next two batters.

Alex Faedo recorded a pair of strikeouts in the top of the sixth.

Detroit extended its lead in the bottom of the inning. Vierling led off against Luis Patino with a single. Walks to Nevin and Rogers, sandwiching a strikeout, loaded the bases. Another walk, this time to Short, forced in a run. A strikeout and foul out left the score at 2-0.

Vierling made it 3-0 when he lofted his eighth homer of the season and first since June 16 off Michael Kopech over the left field wall.

Robert, who struck out his first three times up, broke up Detroit’s shutout bid with his two-out, run-scoring single in the eighth off Jason Foley. He brought home Yasmani Grandal, who led off with a double.

–Field Level Media