Matt Vierling hit an RBI double in the first inning and a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 4-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
Vierling’s single off White Sox reliever Justin Anderson in the seventh brought home Parker Meadows. One out later, Colt Keith drove in Riley Greene from second with a single, extending Detroit’s lead to 4-2.
Tigers reliever Will Vest (3-4) recorded one out in the sixth inning and pitched a scoreless seventh to get the win.
Starter Chris Flexen and the White Sox tied the MLB record for most consecutive losses by a team in games started by the same pitcher, now at 19 losses. The Brewers and Chris Capuano had a similar streak from May 13, 2007, to June 3, 2010.
After winning the first game of the four-game series against Chicago, Vierling did not place extra importance on facing the struggling White Sox.
“I think it’s important to keep the same approach. If you think differently, that’s when things can go wrong and you might get out of your game a bit.
We’re just trying to play the same baseball we’ve been playing, be aggressive, and have good at-bats. We’re trying to keep the same mentality,” said Vierling.
The White Sox are 4-27 in the second half of the season and have the worst record in the MLB at 31-98.
Flexen is focusing on not dwelling on the current losing streak.
“At the end of the day, every time I take the mound, I’m trying to have a quality start, put the team in a position to win, have a strong outing, stick to the game plan, and be competitive. That’s all I can focus on,” Flexen said.
Fraser Ellard (1-2) pitched a third of an inning and took the loss, giving up a hit, a walk, and two earned runs.
Flexen allowed back-to-back doubles in the first inning to Greene and Vierling, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
