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Polanco's single in the 12th help Tigers avoid sweep

Apr 22, 2007 - 11:06 PM DETROIT (Ticker) -- Placido Polanco made sure that the Detroit Tigers hit the road on a high.

Polanco singled home the winning run in the 12th inning as the Tigers avoided the sweep of a three-game series with a 6-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Ivan Rodriguez led off the 12th with a walk against rookie righthander Nick Masset (1-1), who was pulled in favor of Boone Logan after Brandon Inge sacrificed. Pinch hitter Craig Monroe also drew a walk before Polanco lined a 1-1 fastball down the third-base line for the win.

"I just wanted to relax and get a good pitch to hit," Polanco said. "Whatever was going to (happen) would happen."

"I wanted to get the first guy out, but I didn't and I had to pitch to Polanco," Logan said. "I tried to get a fastball in, and I didn't get it in enough. I thought I could get a ground ball and get out of the inning, but I didn't get it in enough and he hit it over third."

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen had planned not to pitch to Polanco, but knew that Logan had to after walking Monroe.

"The plan was to not pitch to Polanco in that last inning," Guillen said. "I knew we were in trouble when we had to pitch to him but he (Logan) walked Monroe."

It was the second win in five extra-inning games for Detroit, which snapped a three-game losing streak before it travels to California to start a two-game series with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

After hitting .351 with 14 RBI in 37 at-bats last season with runners in scoring position and two outs, Polanco acquired the label as a "go-to guy" by teammates, something that makes him quite proud.

"It makes me feel real good that I'm the clutch guy," Polanco said. "But I feel that everyone is the guy on this team. We make it happen together."

The Tigers were in jeopardy of being swept until the ninth, when Marcus Thames blasted a two-run homer off David Aardsma to knot the score at 5-5.

"It was a pitch right down the middle of the plate," Thames said. "They were getting me out on fastballs all day. This time up I just wanted to challenge to pitcher and got all of it."

"I got the two quick outs, and (catcher A.J. Pierzynski) was calling a great game, and he knows the hitters," Aardsma said. "He called the right pitch, but I threw it right down the middle and let him hit it."

Thames had ended a first-inning rally by grounding into a double play and struck out twice in his previous three at-bats. However, Detroit manager Jim Leyland believed that he was the right batter to face the hard-throwing Aardsma.

"He's a power guy," Leyland said. "He's dangerous in those situations. I felt that he was a candidate to get one for us."

The righthanded Aardsma was in the game as closer Bobby Jenks was unavailable after saving the previous two games in the series.

"I tried to stay away from Jenks, (Mike) MacDougal and (Matt) Thornton because they have had a lot of work in the last couple days," Guillen said. "They could have pitched if we needed, but I wanted to stay away."

Detroit had a chance to end the game in the 10th, as Polanco was intentionally walked with one out to put runners at first and second. However, Masset got Omar Infante to fly out and fanned Magglio Ordonez to escape the jam.

Tigers righthander Jason Grilli (1-1) threw a perfect top of the 12th.

Polanco finished with two hits and a pair of RBI, including a run-scoring single off starter Jon Garland that opened the scoring in the first. Ordonez added a two-run single later in the frame for a 3-0 lead.

The White Sox got a run back in the second with the second home run of the season by Pierzynski and two in the fifth, including an RBI single by Darin Erstad, off Tigers starter Justin Verlander.

The American League Rookie of the Year last season after going 17-9 in 30 starts, Verlander remained at 1-0 in four outings despite allowing three runs and four hits in seven innings. He also walked five and struck out six.

Chicago grabbed a 5-3 lead in the eighth when Joe Crede connected on a two-run homer in the eighth.

It was the first of the season for the third baseman, but the 15th in 41 career games at Comerica Park - the most by a visiting player.