The four-game series against the Detroit Tigers was never going to be the greatest barometer for offensive progress. The White Sox went the entire set without being retired in order, which, while impressive, probably says less about the team with the league's worst walk rate and more about the pitching it faced.
Sure enough, in came Oakland and Mike Fiers, and out went the White Sox. Fiers retired the side in order for the first of seven scoreless innings, the second time he's done that to the Sox this season. The Sox were limited to just two Tim Anderson singles, two James McCann singles, and one by Leury García. They were all in different innings.
Ross Detwiler technically lost this game in the first inning. He gave up a laser homer to Matt Chapman in the first inning, and a less noteworthy but still effective Stephen Piscotty homer in the second. Beyond that, Detwiler kept the A's off the board through five, then walked two of the three batters he faced to start the sixth.
Jose Ruiz ended that inning with a couple of flyouts to strand Detwiler's runners, then pitched a scoreless seventh himself. Alas, Jace Fry gave up a walk, homer, walk and single to the four batters he faced, setting a five-run eighth into motion that Josh Osich couldn't immediately halt, and a quiet afternoon turned into a rout instead.
Bullet points:
*Anderson went 2-for-3 with a stolen base, as he looks like he's back at full speed.
*The White Sox are back to struggling with the strike zone, drawing zero walks and striking out 11 times. Jansen Visconti called a very wide plate, but even then, White Sox pitchers walked seven.
*García, playing second, made a nifty leaping grab on a flared liner, then doubled off Marcus Semien at second.
Record: 51-63 | Box score | Highlights
