Daz Cameron hit a go-ahead, solo home run in the ninth inning, and Willi Castro had three hits as the visiting Detroit Tigers topped the American League Central champion Chicago White Sox 5-2 Sunday in the teams’ regular-season finale.
Cameron connected against White Sox reliever Reynaldo Lopez (4-4) to open the ninth before Dustin Garneau and Akil Baddoo drove home insurance runs with a double and sacrifice fly, respectively.
Michael Fulmer pitched around a hit and a driving rain in the ninth for his 14th save. Joe Jimenez (6-1) was the winner, striking out two and walking one in a scoreless eighth.
After finishing with the franchise’s most regular-season wins since 2005, Chicago (93-69) is set to visit the AL West champion Houston Astros on Thursday in the opener of a best-of-five AL Division Series.
Sunday’s loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the White Sox.
Harold Castro had two hits and an RBI for Detroit (77-85), which finished the season with its most wins since the 2016 team had 86.
Detroit left-hander Tyler Alexander concluded a solid stretch run with six innings of one-run ball, scattering four hits, two walks and four strikeouts. After surrendering a solo home run to Luis Robert two batters into the game, Alexander held the White Sox to three singles.
Chicago starter Dylan Cease scattered one run and four hits in four innings, with two walks and five strikeouts.
The White Sox tied the game at 2 in the seventh on an Andrew Vaughn RBI single before loading the bases with one out. The Tigers escaped further damage when Yoan Moncada grounded into a double play, which ended with a lengthy rundown between home plate and third base.
White Sox leadoff man Tim Anderson went 2-for-4 to finish with a .309 batting average, marking the third straight season in which the Chicago shortstop has hit above .300. Adam Engel and Cesar Hernandez added two hits each for the White Sox.
Lopez allowed three runs and three hits in one-third of an inning, with one walk.
–Field Level Media