The White Sox were rolling, and raced to a huge early lead against the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.
Then their pitching staff – including two of their go-to relievers this season – melted down in an ugly 11-8 loss that dropped them a game behind first-place Cleveland in the American League Central.
This was another defeat that hurt in the South Siders’ improbable playoff push for a division title or wild card. The Sox, now, 78-76, are 6-13 since Aug. 29, when they peaked at nine games over .500 (72-63) with a win at Minnesota.
The White Sox staked rookie David Sandlin to a 8-2 lead in this one, scoring six unearned runs in the first and adding two more in the third on Miguel Vargas’ 32nd homer.
But Sandlin and the White Sox bullpen couldn’t hold it.
“That’s tough, no way about it,” manager Will Venable said. “You know we obviously have a special first inning there and get the lead. Vargie with a nice homer and then, yeah, just weren’t able to get any outs.”
Detroit cut if to 8-5 in the fifth on Kevin McGonigle’s triple off Sandlin with the bases loaded. Hagen Smith relieved Sandlin, who seemed in control through four innings, but suddenly couldn’t get an out.
“I mean that’s what you ask for as a starting pitcher,” Sandlin said. “Those guys went to work for me, and I couldn’t go to work for them at the end of the day and that’s on me.”
“I’ve got to get more than four innings as a starter and save the bullpen.”
Adding to the pain, All-Star Tristan Peters, playing in right field, hit the wall hard trying to snare McGonigle’s drive and left the game. He has a bruised left shoulder and is day-to-day.
The White Sox bullpen certainly didn’t save this one either.
The Tigers narrowed it to 8-6 in the sixth off Chris Murphy on Hao-Yu Lee’s RBI double.
Detroit put it away with a five-run eighth, powered by two-run homers by Lee and and Riley Greene.
Lee laced a two-run shot off to right off Sean Newcomb’s center-cut high fastball to tie it at 8 – after Newcomb hit Eduardo Valencia with a pitch on an 0-2 count.
Newcomb then walked McGonigle. Bryan Hudson entered and yielded two singles that put the Tigers ahead 9-8. Green launched his 21st homer to complete the rally.
Newcomb (2-5) was charged the loss, yielding three runs while getting only two outs. The big left-hander has been scored on six of his last seven outings, allowing 12 runs in eight innings, after going 11 straight games without allowing a run.
Hudson, who has been ultra-reliable this season allowed two runs on four hits. He hadn’t been scored on in 11 previous outings and 12 1/3 innings.
“We couldn’t slow them down,” Venable said. “It didn’t’ really matter what spots we put guys in.”