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Danks, Thome help White Sox top Tigers

Aug 7, 2008 - 4:40 AM By Gene Chamberlain PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- After a 14-inning marathon victory Tuesday night, Chicago White Sox lefthander John Danks knew his team's bullpen could use some relief.

Danks gave up four hits in 6 2/3 innings and Jim Thome provided the early offense with a three-run homer in the first on Wednesday to lead the White Sox to a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

"My goal was just to get us deep in the game," Danks said. "We used just about every arm last night. I knew the (bullpen) guys were going to be down and kind of achy today. My goal was to get us into the seventh or eight inning with a lead, obviously."

Danks (9-4), who has gone 13 straight starts without a defeat, yielded just one run and struck out six in outdueling Justin Verlander (8-12) despite the lack of an effective curveball.

"In the bullpen (prior to the game), I don't think I had even one break," said Danks, who last lost on May 24 at Anaheim. "And in warmups, I think I threw one for a strike - between innings. But my changeup was good and I felt like I had good fastball command, and the cutter bailed me out of big situations."

The 23-year-old Danks, who walked one, snapped a string of four consecutive starts in which he had allowed at least four earned runs. In surrendering just one on Wednesday, he matched his best effort since throwing six scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 26.

Danks has allowed two runs or less in 16 of his 23 outings.

"It was the best I've seen Danks' control," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

Detroit loaded its lineup with righthanded hitters against Danks after scoring four earned runs in six innings against him July 26 at Comerica Park.

"In our park, John facing all those righthanded hitters on their team, he was amazing," said White Sox coach Joey Cora, who acted as manager for the second straight game due to manager Ozzie Guillen's two-game suspension. "When he faced them last time, he kind of struggled, and this time, he made an adjustment and he was unbelievable. He had a lot of help from the defense, too."

Juan Uribe, who has moved from second base to third with Joe Crede suffering from a back injury, recorded seven assists and two putouts while starting an inning-ending double play in the fifth by snaring a hot line drive.

"If I just have them hit it to Juan Uribe every time, it'll be all right," Danks said. "He made a lot of plays over there."

The Tigers, who have lost six in a row, produced their lone run in the seventh, when Magglio Ordonez hit a one-out double to left and scored on Gary Sheffield's two-out single. But the White Sox put away the game in the ninth on Alexei Ramirez's two-run single off reliever Aquilino Lopez.

D.J. Carrasco, Octavio Dotel and Bobby Jenks combined to work 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief for Chicago.

Thome hit his 22nd home run of the year in the first after Nick Swisher walked, Carlos Quentin singled and Jermaine Dye narrowly avoided hitting into an inning-ending double play, beating the relay throw at first by an eyelash. Thome followed with his 529th career blast, an opposite-field shot to left field.

"(Verlander) threw me a fastball the first pitch," Thome said. "Especially with him, you're looking fastball because he obviously throws hard. He threw me a fastball the first pitch and then he doubled up and threw it there, and I got good wood on it and it went out."

Verlander, who threw 130 pitches, allowed five runs and six hits with three walks and eight strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings. He settled down to retire 12 in a row after Paul Konerko singled following Thome's home run but still absorbed his third straight loss.

The White Sox loaded the bases against Verlander in the eighth before Lopez came on and gave up Ramirez's two-run single.

After posting a 14-inning, 10-8 comeback win Tuesday, Chicago (63-49) had an easier time in this one and maintained its one-game lead over Minnesota (63-51) in the American League Central Division. Detroit (55-58) fell 8 1/2 games off the pace.

"We just have to control what we do here," Thome said. "We've done a nice job. Hopefully, the momentum of last night's game will carry on through this series, and maybe we can get another win tomorrow."