DETROIT (AP) — Colt Keith and Akil Baddoo homered in a five-run first inning and Riley Greene cleared the fences in a four-run second, lifting the Detroit Tigers to an 11-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
The Tigers scored more runs in two at-bats on Matt Vierling’s leadoff triple and Keith’s two-run homer than in any of the previous six games, and they were just getting warmed up in the series-winning rout.
Baddoo’s two-run homer capped the five-run first inning and Greene followed with a three-run shot in the second to put Detroit ahead 9-0.
“It was a really good offensive day for us and continues to demonstrate to us that we’re very capable,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.
The Tigers chased Jonathan Cannon (1-2) after they opened the second inning with three straight singles, including Keith’s run-scoring, opposite-field line drive. The rookie right hander gave up eight runs — five earned — on seven hits in 42 pitchers over one-plus innings.
“It was just kind of bad all around,” Cannon said. “Missed my spots there in the first inning, and they made me pay for it. Then just went out for the second and was unable to execute pitches and they made me pay for it.”
Cannon was rough up by a team that had scored a total of five runs in its previous six games, providing another lesson for the prized prospect.
“Baseball is a cruel game, and sometimes it doesn’t go your way,” he said.
The former Georgia standout, a third-round pick in 2022, was coming off strong starts.
In his previous two outings, Cannon pitched 8 2/3 scoreless innings against Houston for his first win and gave up only one run in seven innings against Seattle.
“Young kid coming off the best night of his career and we wanted to attack his fastball and changeup,” Hinch said.
Cannon was replaced by Jared Shuster, whose third pitch was hit to opposite field by Greene for his 15th home run.
Reese Olson (2-8) struck out two in the first inning before Detroit’s bats gave him a big cushion. The White Sox had just two hits off the righty until Eloy Jimenez led off the seventh with a single and Gavin Sheets followed with a double.
Olson gave up two runs on four hits while striking out three and walking none over 6 1/3 innings.
The Tigers restored their nine-run cushion with Zach McKinstry’s solo homer in the seventh and when Wenceel Perez hit an RBI double in the eighth.
Keith, a 22-year-old rookie with more than $28 million in guarantees, had four hits for the third time since May 17.
“I know veterans who don’t have four-hit games,” Hinch said.
Jimenez, who had been out for two months with a hamstring injury, was reinstated from the injured list and outfielder Oscar Colas was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.
White Sox LHP Garrett Crochet (6-6) and Los Angeles Dodgers LHP James Paxton (7-1) are the probable pitchers Monday night in Chicago.
Tigers RHP Casey Mize (1-5) and Philadelphia Phillies Aaron Nola (8-3) are scheduled to start Monday night in Detroit.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
