The Detroit Tigers made a statement to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, winning 5-3 to prove that they aren't going to give the division away quietly.
The Tigers got a strong start from pitcher Doug Fister and gained ground on the White Sox, who now lead the division by only two games.
"I wasn't trying to do too much; that was the biggest thing for me. I was just trying to stay inside myself and let the defense work," Fister told the Associated Press. "That was the name of my game tonight."
Fister has been electric since the All-Star break, going 7-2 with a 2.49 ERA. He is also holding opponents to a .202 batting average in that time.
Apart from two early solo home runs, the White Sox had no success off of Fister, who gave up only two hits and two runs in seven strong innings. He also retired the last 14 batters he faced in the game before he was relieved by Joaquin Benoit.
Jose Valverde finished the game for his 29th save of the season. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Tigers.
The White Sox took an early lead off of a solo home run from Dewayne Wise in the first inning and added another run off a solo shot from Gordon Beckham in the third. Those would be the only runs they could get off Fister.
"We've been pitching very good for a while. Tonight, we did muster a few runs; it's not like we tore the cover off the ball, but we got enough. Our pitchers were pretty darn good," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said.
White Sox starter Jake Peavy dropped to 1-3 against the Tigers this season and gave up six hits and three runs in5 2/3 innings. Miguel Cabrera and Austin Jackson homered for the Tigers in the fifth to knock Peavy out of the game. The White Sox bullpen used six pitchers and gave up another two runs.
"You go back and relieve those and you'd like to make better pitches," Peavy said of the homers. He has given up 22 now on the season.
Chicago was playing without slugger Adam Dunn, who missed his fifth straight game due to an oblique injury. Wise was hitting in Dunn's spot and hit his fifth home run since being called up by the White Sox in August.
"Fister was good tonight," Wise said. "After that first inning, I faced him and he had a pretty good breaking ball going. He just kept throwing that thing and we just kept chasing it."
The Tigers came into the season with very high expectations after signing prized free agent Prince Fielder to a nine-year, $214 million contract in the offseason. The team also returned superstar third baseman Miguel Cabrera and reigning Cy Young Award and MVP-winner Justin Verlander.
Many felt the team would run away with the division, but they struggled during the first half of the season. They now sit only two games behind the White Sox for the division lead.
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