Jones lifts Tigers to victory in MLB debut
DETROIT -- JaCoby Jones had two hits and knocked in two runs in his major league debut and Ian Kinsler drove in four runs, powering the Detroit Tigers to an 8-4 victory over Chicago White Sox on Tuesday at Comerica Park.
Jones, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Toledo earlier in the day, drove in the go-ahead run with a sixth-inning double and added an RBI single the following inning.
Kinsler supplied a two-run homer and two-run single, while J.D. Martinez had three extra-base hits, including a solo homer. Bruce Rondon (5-2) got the win with an inning of scoreless relief.
Todd Frazier hit his 33rd homer for the White Sox. Matt Albers (2-6) was charged with the loss after giving up three runs in one-third of an inning.
Neither starter factored in the decision. The Tigers' Daniel Norris and White Sox's Anthony Ranaudo each allowed three runs in five innings.
Trailing 3-2, Detroit batted around in the bottom of the sixth to take a three-run lead. Martinez led off with his second double. Albers relieved Ranaudo and promptly gave up Justin Upton's tying single.
Following a walk, Jones smacked an opposite-field double to put the Tigers on top. Albers finally got an out before Kinsler ripped a single off Jacob Turner over third baseman Todd Frazier's glove to bring in Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jones.
Melky Cabrera's RBI groundout in the seventh cut Detroit's lead to 6-4.
The Tigers answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Martinez led off with his 19th home run. Three batters later, Jones bounced a run-scoring single past a drawn-in infield, bringing home Upton from third.
Frazier's two-run homer highlighted a three-run second. Following Justin Morneau's leadoff single, Frazier ripped a 2-2 pitch into the left-field seats. The White Sox tacked on another run with Adam Eaton's RBI groundout.
The Tigers were held to one hit until Kinsler's two-out, two-run shot in the fifth. He pulled his 24th homer into the left-field seats, the sixth homer off Ranaudo in four starts with the White Sox.
NOTES: Detroit 3B Casey McGehee was demoted to Triple-A Toledo to make room for rookie JaCoby Jones. McGehee was batting .232 with one RBI in 22 games while replacing injured 3B Nick Castellanos. "We just felt we needed a little bit of offense and we're hoping to get it from Jones," manager Brad Ausmus said. ... The Tigers also recalled LHP Blaine Hardy from the Mud Hens and optioned LHP Matt Boyd -- Monday's starter -- to Toledo. ... The series finale Wednesday afternoon features a matchup of aces - Chicago LHP Chris Sale and Detroit RHP Justin Verlander. "You better get your runs early when you're facing him because he gets better as he goes along," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of Verlander. ... The White Sox have lost nine of their last 10 games at Comerica Park. ... The White Sox rank 13th in the American League in scoring. "We haven't held up our end of the bargain on that point," Ventura said.