Pinch hitter Andy Ibanez ripped a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the ninth as the Detroit Tigers edged the host Chicago White Sox 3-2 on Sunday to complete a three-game series sweep.
Gio Urshela singled with one out before Zach McKinstry drew a two-out walk to put Ibanez in position to be the hero. Matt Vierling pinch-ran for Urshela and came home on Ibanez’s decisive hit.
Chicago went down in order in the home half of the ninth. Tyler Holton (1-0) struck out Gavin Sheets, then Jason Foley came on to get Andrew Vaughn and Braden Shewmake to both ground out for his second save of the season.
Steven Wilson (0-1) was tagged with the loss.
Kerry Carpenter and Jake Rogers went deep for Detroit, with Carpenter adding a single as part of a 2-for-4 day. Urshela also finished with two hits.
Making his Tigers debut, Jack Flaherty recorded a quality start, allowing one run on four hits in six innings. He didn’t issue a walk while striking out seven.
Flaherty, who spent last season with the St. Louis Cardinals and Baltimore Orioles, was in line for the win before Paul DeJong clubbed a solo home run in the seventh to tie things at 2.
Korey Lee also homered for the White Sox, who hadn’t been swept in a season-opening series since coming up empty in a three-game set with the Kansas City Royals in 2015.
Chicago starter Erick Fedde went 4 2/3 innings, giving up two runs and five hits. He walked one and fanned seven.
The White Sox looked poised to open the scoring in the second when Shewmake singled and stole second with one out, but Flaherty recorded back-to-back strikeouts to escape the frame unscathed.
However, Chicago broke through an inning later, as Lee began the home half of the third with a solo shot.
Carpenter tied things up with a solo home run of his own in the fourth.
–Field Level Media