Cabrera, Tigers help Sanchez to first win since April
DETROIT -- Anibal Sanchez collected his first win as a starter since April and Miguel Cabrera had three hits, including a two-run homer, and drove in three runs as the Detroit Tigers stretched their winning streak to seven games with an 11-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night at Comerica Park.
Sanchez (6-11) had gone 11 starts without a victory until he held the White Sox to one run and six hits in six innings. His last win as a starter came April 28 against Oakland. He did have two relief wins in June.
Cabrera, who belted two homers Sunday against Houston, hit an opposite-field shot in the sixth inning. He also doubled in a run and scored during a six-run uprising in the fifth.
Victor Martinez supplied an RBI double and solo homer, James McCann and Ian Kinsler contributed two-run singles and Cameron Maybin added an RBI triple for Detroit.
Losing pitcher James Shields (5-13) gave up six runs and nine hits in five innings. Avisail Garcia hit two homers and drove in three runs for the White Sox, who have lost five of their last six games. Todd Frazier tied for the major-league lead with his 30th homer.
Chicago center fielder Charlie Tilson, who was making his major-league debut, was helped off the field in the fifth inning after straining his left hamstring. Tilson, acquired in a trade with St. Louis on Sunday, got a hit in his first at-bat and went 1-for-2.
The White Sox broke through with a run in the fourth. Jose Abreu doubled with one out and, following a walk and strikeout, Navarro smacked a run-scoring single to right.
Detroit's Andrew Romine got a rare start at third base in place of Nick Castellanos, who was 1-for-16 against Shields. That move paid off in the fifth as Romine sparked the six-run outburst with a leadoff triple.
Jose Iglesias' sacrifice fly was followed by five consecutive hits. Ian Kinsler singled and came home on Maybin's triple down the left-field line. Cabrera then doubled into the right-center gap and Tilson's leg buckled as he chased after it. Martinez made it back-to-back doubles, plating Cabrera.
McCann finished off the big inning with a two-run single that bounced over second baseman Tyler Saladino's glove for a 6-1 Tigers lead.
NOTES: RHP Jordan Zimmermann will come off the 15-day disabled list and start Thursday's matinee, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus announced. Zimmermann, who is 9-4 with a 3.95 ERA, has missed a month with a right neck strain. ... The return of RF J.D. Martinez is also imminent. Martinez (right elbow fracture) batted .310 with three RBIs in his first six rehab games at Triple-A Toledo. "If all goes well, we'll probably have him back before the end of the series," Ausmus said. ... Tigers LHP Daniel Norris was activated off the 15-day DL and optioned to Toledo. ... White Sox OF J.B. Shuck was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte to make room for Charlie Tilson, who made his major-league debut on Tuesday. ... Chicago lost its last five games at Comerica Park. .... White Sox LHP Chris Sale makes his second start since his five-game team suspension on Wednesday. Sale was disciplined for destroying throwback uniforms before a scheduled start against the Tigers.