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CHICAGO(AP)
Brandon Inge
delivered for the
Detroit Tigers
after another display of sloppy baseball from the
Chicago White Sox
, one that left manager
Ozzie Guillen
fuming.
After a costly Chicago error and an infield hit, Inge singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth inning as the Tigers beat
the
White Sox
5-4 in the opener of a day-night doubleheader Monday.
''I was basically just trying not to strike out,'' Inge said. ''I'm trying to put it in play. I'm trying to make something
happen.''
Miguel Cabrera
reached on third baseman
Josh Fields
' error with one out.
Marcus Thames
followed with an infield single off shortstop
Alexei Ramirez
's glove.
Inge then grounded a single into left field off
Scott Linebrink
(2-3), scoring pinch-runner
Josh Anderson
from second base.
The fielding gaffe in the ninth wasn't what had Guillen stewing after his team's sixth loss in seven games. He was more upset
about his team's inability to move runners and get down bunts.
''''If this was the 1980s, (none) of these guys would be in the big leagues right now, because if you hit .210-.230 and you
can't execute, I don't think you should be out here,'' Guillen said.
''When you can't bunt, hit-and-run, squeeze and move the guy over, you better hit 40 home runs and drive in 140.''
He didn't name names, but the
White Sox
manager was visibly upset.
''Somebody has to change because if we don't do what we're supposed to do, I'll take the blame because that's my job,'' Guillen
said.
''In the meanwhile, if anyone watched from the first day of the season to right now, I will look myself in the mirror and
figure out who's fault it is. We're not doing it. We got excited here and there. After that, it was a boring game. Really,
really, really bad baseball games. Terrible the way the guys played the game.''
Fernando Rodney
worked the ninth for his 11th save in as many chances for the AL Central leaders with Inge starting a game-ending double play
at third.
''The infield was getting kind of choppy. I don't know if they were setting it up for rain,'' Inge said. ''It gets kind of
rocky at times from the course of the game, gets kind of chewed up a little bit. I actually was watching and though that might
have been what happened to
Josh Fields
. He kind of got it in between hops.''
Fields, whose playing time could be cut with the arrival of rookie
Gordon Beckham
, offered no excuses.
''It was just a ball we work on all the time,'' he said. ''You are supposed to field with your glove and transfer it over.
I tried to go with both hands and that's where you get the bobble.''
Paul Konerko
led off the bottom of the eighth against
Joel Zumaya
(3-0) with his eighth homer, a line shot over the fence in left that tied it at 4.
Detroit starter
Armando Galarraga
, looking to snap a six-game losing streak, went 6 2-3 innings. He allowed seven hits, including a two-run homer by
Jermaine Dye
, and left with a 4-3 lead.
Curtis Granderson
's RBI single off Chicago reliever D.J. Carrasco in the sixth put the Tigers ahead 4-3. Dye's 15th homer made it 3-all.
Chicago starter
Clayton Richard
lost his control in the fifth with two outs.
Magglio Ordonez
singled before Richard walked three straight batters, including Inge to force in a run, and put Detroit ahead 3-1.
Konerko's bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the first following two walks and a leadoff single by
Scott Podsednik
gave the
White Sox
a 1-0 lead.
But the Tigers got it back quickly in the second against Richard. After Dye leaped high against the fence in right-center
field to take a potential home run away from Thames, Inge doubled. A walk and wild pitch put runners at the corners before
Adam Everett
hit an RBI single and
Dane Sardinha
had a sacrifice fly for a 2-1 lead.
Notes: Between games, the
White Sox
recalled
Jose Contreras
from Triple-A Charlotte to start the nightcap. Lefty
Wes Whisler
was sent back to Charlotte. The Tigers activated
Jeremy Bonderman
from the disabled list to make his first start since June 1, 2008. Detroit sent right-hander
Ryan Perry
to Triple-A Toledo.
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