Davis Martin is still looking for his 10th win, but he pitched well enough on Sunday to set the stage for a more critical White Sox victory.
Martin tossed scoreless ball for 4 1/3 innings, then the bullpen took over as the White Sox cruised past the Detroit Tigers 8-1 to remain one game behind division-leading Cleveland in the American League Central.
Chase Meidroth smacked his 15th homer, a two run-shot in the fifth to open a 6-0 lead, after Sam Antonacci laced a two-run double in the South Siders’ three-run fourth. Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, Munetaka Murakami and Randal Grichuk also came through with RBIs as the Sox took three of four from the Tigers and improved to 80-76.
The Sox put it away with two runs in the eighth, completing a 10-hit attack.
The game was scheduled to start at 1:10 p.m.,but the first pitch was delayed by persistent light rain to 5 p.m. The Sox already knew the Guardians had edged the Athletics 1-0 for a fifth straight win by then.
Martin entered Sunday off three effective outings since returning from the injured list from a right middle finger blister on Sept 2. He came through with a fourth against Detroit The right-hander allowed three hits, walking two, hitting a batter and striking out six before exiting after 70 pitches (43 for strikes).
Hagen Smith, Huascar Brazobán, Trevor Richards and Luis Castillo followed. Only Richards, who tossed the seventh and eight innings, was touched for a run. Brazobán (6-2) tossed a scoreless sixth inning for the win.
Martin still isn’t as dominant as earlier this season, when he raced a 9-2 record. He earned that ninth win on June 10 by tossing six shutout innings against Atlanta.
That’s the last time he got a “W.” It was 99 days ago. Martin is still 9-7 overall, but he lowered his ERA to 3.84 on Sunday.
And since returning from his blister, Martin has given the White Sox rotation some desperately needed stability.
Although the right-hander is 0-1 with three no-decisions, Martin has allowed just three runs (two earned) in 20 1/3 innings in three starts and a bulk relief appearance in Cleveland last Tuesday. That works out to a 0.89 ERA. He’s allowed 16 hits, walked six and struck out 10.
Martin dodged a bullet in the top of the second Sunday when Brett Callahan flew out to Brenton Doyle at the right-center wall for the third out.
The White Sox took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half when Meidroth stole second and scored on Montgomery’s double down the right-field line.
Martin allowed a single and walk with two outs in the fourth, but struck out Spencer Torkelson to end the threat.
The Sox extended the lead to 4-0 in the fourth, scoring on Antonacci’s double and Teel’s single with two outs
Antonacci made it 3-0 when he laced Troy Melton’s low slider down the right field line to drive in two runs. The previous hitter, Brenton Doyle, had kept the inning alive by beating out a chopper to third for an infield single. Then Teel bounced an RBIs single through the right side
Meidroth hit his two-run shot to the left field bullpen off Ty Madden gave the Sox some breathing room.
ABS Forced Turning Point
Smith relieved Martin with a runner on first and one out in the fifth and the Sox ahead 4-0. Smith walked two to load the bases, but escaped by striking out Hao-Yu Lee and getting Riley Greene to ground out to first.
But there was a twist
With runners on first and second and one out in the fifth, Detroit’s Gleyber Torres successfully used the ABS challenges on two consecutive called strikes. Both were overturned to balls and he walked to load the bases.
Peters Still Sore
White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters remained out of the lineup on Sunday after hitting the right-center wall hard trying to snare Kevin McGonigle’s bases-clearing triple on Friday. Brenton Doyle played in center field and Braden Montgomery in right.
Peters smashed his shoulder and fell to the warning track before exiting Friday. But he pinch-ran for Tommy Pham in the eighth Sunday and scored.
Manager Will Venable didn’t rule out a full return for Peters on Tuesday in Kansas City.