J.D. Martinez Homer Just Enough For Tigers
DETROIT (AP) — J.D. Martinez broke an eighth-inning tie with a pinch homer on the first pitch he had faced since June and the Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox, 2-1, on Wednesday night for their eighth straight victory.
Playing for the first time since fracturing his elbow June 16, Martinez received a long standing ovation on his way to the plate to hit for James McCann leading off the inning.
The cheers got a lot louder when Martinez launched Sale's first pitch into the shrubs above the centerfield fence. Martinez took a curtain call after the inning, much to the crowd's delight.
The White Sox put their first two runners on against Francisco Rodriguez in the ninth, and Melky Cabrera moved to third on Justin Morneau's fly out. Rodriguez struck out Todd Frazier, but walked Avisail Garcia to load the bases. Dioner Navarro grounded out to second to end the game.
Sale (14-5) took the loss, allowing two runs on six hits in an eight-inning complete game. He walked one and struck out 10.
Shane Greene (2-2) got the win after pitching out of a seventh-inning jam, while Rodriguez picked up his 30th save.
Rookie Michael Fulmer allowed one run on five hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Sale was making his first start against the Tigers since being a late scratch on July 23 — the night he cut up the team's throwback jerseys.
Fulmer and Sale dueled early, although the rookie was aided by Chicago hitting into three double plays in the first four innings.
The Tigers finally broke through in the fourth. Miguel Cabrera led off with a double, Victor Martinez walked and Nick Castellanos hit an RBI double down the right-field line. Sale struck out Justin Upton, and Mike Aviles hit a foul pop down the first-base line. Jose Abreu made a running catch, then turned and easily threw out Victor Martinez at the plate.
Fulmer kept rolling until the sixth, when Morneau tied the game with a long two-out homer to right-center. Morneau has hit two of his three homers this season off Fulmer.
Frazier walked on four pitches and Fulmer hit Garcia, bringing Greene out of the Tigers bullpen to end the rally. Frazier and Garcia were the 10th and 11th runners inherited by Greene this season, with none having scored.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.