• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Tigers host White Sox in AL Central battle

May 4, 2012 - 3:20 PM (Sports Network) - Rookie lefty Drew Smyly meets the Chicago White Sox for the first time tonight when his Detroit Tigers host them in the opener of a three- game set between American League Central Division rivals at Comerica Park.

A second-round pick of the Tigers in 2010, Smyly made 22 minor-league appearances at Single- and Double-A in 2011 and went 11-6 with a 2.07 earned run average before jumping up to make a single start at Triple-A Toledo this spring.

He debuted in the majors on April 12 against Tampa and got three consecutive no-decisions before breaking through with a victory at Yankee Stadium after he allowed a single run on two hits in six innings in Detroit's 7-5 win over New York.

The Little Rock, Ark. native, who'll turn 23 next month, has pitched six innings in three of his four starts and allowed only one run in all four while holding opponents to a .222 batting average.

He's allowed 18 hits, three earned runs and struck out 22 batters in 22 innings.

He's opposed by veteran righty Jake Peavy, who makes his 257th major-league outing and faces the Tigers for the second time this season.

The 30-year-old Alabama native defeated Detroit, 5-2 on April 13 in Chicago after allowing two runs on two hits in 6 2/3 innings.

He went on to win consecutive decisions against Baltimore and Oakland on April 18 and 23, then dropped a hard-luck decision to Boston after pitching all nine innings and allowing a run on four hits.

Peavy has gone the distance in his last two starts while surrendering seven hits and striking out 12. The complete games were the 10th and 11th of his career.

He's 3-2 in six lifetime outings against Detroit with a 3.58 ERA.

On Thursday in Chicago, Jason Kipnis smacked a run scoring triple in the third and added a three-run homer in the seventh as the Indians downed the White Sox, 7-5, in the rubber match of a three-game series at U.S. Cellular Field on Thursday.

Asdrubal Cabrera belted a solo shot and knocked in two while Casey Kotchman finished with two hits, an RBI and a run scored as Justin Masterson (1-2) got his first win of the season after allowing three runs on eight hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings.

"I don't know how it happens because they are a good hitting team," said Masterson. "But they're nice enough to not hit when I face them and I appreciate it."

Chris Perez got the final two outs of the game to record his ninth save of the year as the Indians took the last two of the series after dropping the opener.

Adam Dunn launched a two-run blast in the ninth and Alejandro De Aza added three hits and two RBI for Chicago, which has lost seven of its last nine.

John Danks (2-4) tossed seven innings, but surrendered seven runs -- six earned -- on nine hits and a walk to take the loss.

On Wednesday in Detroit, Chris Getz slapped a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the ninth inning Wednesday as the Royals downed the Tigers, 3-2, in the finale of a weather-shortened two-game series at Comerica Park.

Royals starter Jonathan Sanchez carried a no-hitter into the fifth before a two-out double ended it. Jose Mijares and Kevin Herrera also held the Tigers scoreless but Aaron Crow served up a game-tying two-run blast to Brennan Boesch in the bottom of the eighth.

The Tigers scored the go-ahead run off Joaquin Benoit (0-1), who entered for Detroit starter Justin Verlander.

Chicago took two of three from the Tigers earlier in the year.