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White Sox use 8th-inning burst to get past Tigers

May 7, 2015 - 5:15 AM Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Melky Cabrera hit a game-tying three-run homer and Avisail Garcia added the go-ahead RBI single in a four-run eighth as Chicago rallied past Detroit, 7-6, in the middle test of a three-game series.

Jose Abreu finished with two hits and scored two runs, Micah Johnson added three hits and crossed home twice and Conor Gillaspie posted a solo shot for the White Sox, who have taken the first two in the set after losing five straight.

"These guys keep grinding," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said of his offense. "They continued to grind and realized it was going to be there."

Zach Putnam (1-1) allowed a run in the eighth inning but earned the win, while David Robertson endured some trouble in the ninth but recorded his fifth save.

Victor Martinez hit a two-run shot and drove in four for the Tigers, who have dropped four of their last six. Rajai Davis finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI while Miguel Cabrera also knocked in a run.

Joba Chamberlain (0-1) took the loss and a blown save, charged with four runs on six hits while recording two outs in the deciding frame.

Chamberlain retired the first two batters in the eighth, but Johnson and Adam Eaton kept the frame alive with base hits and Melky Cabrera tied the game with a homer to right center. He was allowed to stay in the game, and promptly gave up three straight singles, the last one to Garcia, which scored Abreu for a 7-6 White Sox lead.

Blaine Hardy was called on and got Gordon Beckham to line to center.

Robertson allowed hits to Nick Castellanos and James McCann with one out, but on the latter's single, he overshot first base and was eventually tagged out trying to return though the former made it to third. Jose Iglesias then grounded out to end the game.

Davis tripled to begin the contest and scored on a Martinez sacrifice fly.

Gillaspie evened things on his leadoff homer to right in the second, but Martinez took ChiSox starter Chris Sale deep with Miguel Cabrera aboard in the third for a 3-1 edge.

Chicago pulled within a run in the home half, as Alfredo Simon's wild pitch with the bases loaded scored Abreu.

Melky Cabrera's sacrifice fly scored Johnson in the fourth to draw the Sox even, but Davis kicked off the fifth with a double and scored two batters later on a Miguel Cabrera base hit.

Detroit went ahead by two in the sixth, as J.D. Martinez walked, moved up on a McCann single, went to third on an Iglesias base hit and scored when Davis hit into a fielder's choice against Jake Petricka.

"We played good all night," Martinez said. "We battled off Sale."

Iglesias was plunked to begin the eighth, was sacrificed to second and scored on a Victor Martinez two-out base hit for a 6-3 contest.

Game Notes

Sale ended up allowing five runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and five walks over 5 1/3 innings ... Simon lasted five innings and gave up three runs on five hits with four walks and a pair of strikeouts ... McCann had three hits for the Tigers ... Detroit was 4-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12, and Chicago was 2-for-10 with RISP and left 11 on base.