DETROIT (AP) - Eloy Jiménez, Yoán Moncada and Tim Anderson are giving Chicago some encouraging glimpses of a better future for the White Sox.
Jiménez hit a grand slam in the fourth inning, and Moncada also went deep as the White Sox breezed to a 10-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night. Anderson had two more hits in his pursuit of the American League batting title.
“I hope that any time we go out and play a decent ballgame it’s a foreshadow of what we want to be,” Chicago manager Rick Renteria said. “That will ultimately be the goal, and we want it to start occurring sooner rather than later.”
Dylan Cease (4-7) allowed a run and five hits in six innings - the first quality start for the White Sox since Sept. 6. Cease struck out eight with two walks.
The White Sox chased Jordan Zimmermann (1-12) in the fourth. The Detroit right-hander allowed several hard-hit balls and received little help from his defense, which made three errors in the first four innings.
“They know what happened. I don’t have to run in there and yell at them,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “We talk to them in the dugout whenever something happens, but I wish we weren’t having to do that every night.”
Moncada’s two-run homer in the third put the White Sox up 4-0. The Tigers intentionally walked him the following inning to load the bases, and Jiménez followed with a drive to right for the rookie outfielder’s 29th home run of the year. That made the score 9-1 and ended Zimmermann’s outing.
“It was out of the zone - high fastball,” Jiménez said. “When I hit it, I say that it’s gone.”
Zimmermann allowed nine runs and 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings.
“Everything I threw up there either got hit hard or found a hole,” Zimmermann said.
Anderson doubled and singled and raised his league-leading average from .335 to .336. DJ LeMahieu of the New York Yankees is at .328.
Detroit (45-108) is likely to pick first in the draft for the second time in three years. The Tigers have baseball’s worst record, and the closest team to them is Baltimore, which won Friday to move 4 ½ games above Detroit.
Jiménez finished a double shy of the cycle and was certainly aware of that after the game.
“Next question please,” he said with a smile.
Yolmer Sanchez had four hits for Chicago.
GOOD MATCHUP
Three of Cease’s four wins have come against Detroit. He’s 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA against the Tigers in this, his debut season.
FINALLY
It’s been a tough year for Daniel Palka, who hit 27 home runs for the White Sox as a rookie in 2018 but has bounced back and forth between the majors and minors this season. Palka was 2 for 64 at the plate for Chicago before going 3 for 5 on Friday.
“He’s handled it well,” Renteria said. “He’s kept his nose to the grindstone. Keeps trying to give you as good at-bats as he can.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: Chicago put RHP Dylan Covey (right shoulder inflammation) on the injured list, retroactive to Monday.
UP NEXT
White Sox: Ivan Nova (10-12) is slated to start for Chicago in the second game of this series.
Tigers: Tyler Alexander (1-3) takes the mound for Detroit.
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