One pitch, and the night turns
Munetaka Murakami swung at the first thing Framber Valdez threw him and drove it over the center-field fence for a three-run homer. Chicago won 3-1 in Detroit and climbed back into first place in the American League Central.
What made it land harder was everything leading up to it. Murakami came in hitting .096 for September, 5 hits in 52 plate appearances, 31 strikeouts. The staff had dropped him to fifth in the order. Valdez, meanwhile, had not given up an earned run across two starts and 13 innings this month. Both runs ended on the same pitch. Homer number 32 for Murakami, most on the roster.
The White Sox sit 78-75, tied with Cleveland, who were idle Thursday. The Guardians had knocked Chicago off the top a day earlier. Before that, the division had belonged to the White Sox since July 3.
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Fedde got out early, and the bullpen held
Erick Fedde lasted four and two-thirds. One run, four hits, two walks, six strikeouts to match his season high. Detroit’s only run came in the third on a Gleyber Torres fielder’s choice.
The rest belonged to the relievers. Bryan Hudson entered in the fifth after back-to-back hits and struck out Riley Greene. That is his fifth win. Grant Taylor covered the last two and a third for save number nine, and with two on in the ninth he got Torres to ground into a double play to end it.
Chicago were out-hit eight to five and made theirs count anyway. They went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position. Detroit went 0 for 9.
Nine games left, and Detroit are running out of road
The Tigers drop to 72-81, a second straight loss after six in a row. Six games back of Cleveland for the last wild card with nine to play. Valdez takes his 11th loss.
Kevin McGonigle had two hits. Dillon Dingler supplied Detroit’s only extra-base knock, a double in the fifth. Chicago, without Colson Montgomery after he took a pitch off the left wrist Wednesday, take the season series 7-3.
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