CHICAGO (AP) - Matthew Boyd was mostly dominant on the mound, then the Detroit Tigers’ bats backed him up in a big way.
Niko Goodrum lined a two-run homer in Detroit’s five-run sixth inning, Boyd struck out 13 to tie a career high and the Tigers topped the Chicago White Sox 11-5 on Thursday.
“Boyd came out and set the tone for us,” catcher John Hicks said. “We swung the bat very well and pushed a lot of runs across. It was a good day.”
Boyd (6-6) allowed four runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings, and all but three of the outs he recorded came via strikeout. He struck out the side in the first and fourth innings, did not walk a batter and won for the first time since May 28.
The 28-year-old left-hander reached double digits in strikeouts for the second straight start, for the fourth time this season and fifth time in his career.
“It’s not like you keep track or anything that you’re striking guys out,” Boyd said, “but you’re keeping that in mind the next time you face them.”
Miguel Cabrera added a 454-foot solo shot and doubled, and Jeimer Candelario also homered. Hicks and Nicholas Castellanos each had two RBIs as Detroit rebounded after being swept in a doubleheader on Wednesday to win for just the second time in its past 13 games.
White Sox rookie Eloy Jiménez hit a 436-foot two-run homer to center and had three RBIs. José Rondón also had a two-run drive off Boyd, but Chicago’s winning streak ended at three games and the White Sox failed to climb back to .500.
“When you attack hitters and you’re in the zone a lot you’re going to give up some home runs,” Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire said.
A woman in the first row just beyond the White Sox dugout on the third base side was struck by a foul liner off the bat of Detroit’s Victor Reyes in the eighth inning. She was treated by stadium personnel at her seat, and a team spokesman said she wasn’t seriously injured.
Last month, the White Sox announced they would become the first team in the majors to extend protective netting beyond the dugout to the foul poles before the end of the season.
Chicago’s Reynoldo Lopez (4-8) retired the first nine Detroit batters, but allowed nine hits and seven runs (six earned) before Goodrum’s shot to right chased him with one out in the sixth.
“I executed pretty good pitches in the first three innings,” Lopez said through a translator. “I tried to keep executing my pitches, but they were able to hit them.
“What started as a good outing ended as a bad day.”
Lopez was 7-10 last season with a 3.91 ERA, but this year it has ballooned to 6.34.
Detroit jumped ahead 1-0 in the fourth on Castellanos’ RBI single. Rondón homered to right in the bottom of the inning to put Chicago ahead 2-1.
The Tigers regained the lead when Hicks drove in two runs with a single to center.
Detroit broke it open with five runs in the sixth. After Cabrera, Christin Stewart and Harold Castro each doubled, Goodrum lined his seventh homer to right. He had three hits on the day.
After Jiménez cut it to 8-4 in the bottom half of the sixth, Cabrera homered to center in the seventh.
Candelario’s drive in the ninth completed the scoring.
BREAK FOR CEASE
After winning his major league debut on Wednesday, White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease will make his next start after the All-Star break, manager Rick Renteria said.
The 23-year-old Cease allowed three runs and four hits through five innings in the first game of a doubleheader, but settled down after a two-run first when he walked three and hit a batter.
ONE-NIGHT APPEARANCE
The Tigers returned Tyler Alexander to Triple-A Toledo after the left-hander made his major league debut as the 26th man in the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader. Alexander allowed two runs in five innings in a no-decision as the White Sox came back to win 9-6 in 12 innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: Placed OF JaCoby Jones on the 10-day IL with a lower back strain and recalled OF Reyes from Triple-A Toledo. Jones left the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader in the fifth inning with back spasms. Reyes led off and played center field, and finished with two hits and an RBI. … After the game, Gardenhire said RHP Victor Alcántara would go on the IL to have oral surgery.
White Sox: 2B Yolmer Sanchez left the game in third with a lacerated right hand that required three stitches and he is day to day. After he singled in the third, Sanchez got hurt when Boyd threw wide to first. Sanchez dived back to the bag and Goodrum had to step over Sanchez awkwardly to catch the ball and cut him. … SS Tim Anderson (right high ankle sprain) played catch on Thursday. There’s no timetable for his return.
UP NEXT
Tigers: Host Boston on Friday, but haven’t named a starter to face Red Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (8-4, 4.79 ERA).
White Sox: Following a day off Friday, the White Sox send RHP Lucas Giolito (11-2, 2.72) to the mound against the Cubs and LHP Jon Lester (7-6, 3.89) on Saturday in the opener of a two-game series between the crosstown rivals at Guaranteed Rate Field.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Please read our comment policy before commenting.