Castellanos, Scherzer help Tigers beat White Sox
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Nick Castellanos had four RBI, and his three-run homer keyed a six-run opening inning, as the Detroit Tigers dominated the Chicago White Sox, 7-2, at Comerica Park.
Max Scherzer (13-3) yielded five hits and a run over seven innings to win his fifth consecutive decision over a seven-start span. He hasn't lost since June 17 against Kansas City. Scherzer, the first AL pitcher to reach 13 victories this season, has won nine of his last 10 decisions against the White Sox, dating back to Sept. 1, 2012.
"The way I'm using my off-speed pitches, they're all crisp. They're moving the way I want them to," Scherzer said. "I'm throwing the ball as well as I ever have."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Victor Martinez, Torii Hunter and J.D. Martinez had consecutive RBI singles in the big inning, during which eight straight Tigers reached base against Hector Noesi.
The AL Central leaders, who snapped a four-game skid, bounced back from an 11-4 loss in the opener of this three-game series.
Noesi (5-8), who won his previous two starts, was charged with 10 hits and six runs over six frames.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"They just got after him in the first inning," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "He got the first out, but after that he was just getting up in the zone. They were hitting them where we weren't."
Adam Dunn homered in the ninth inning off Al Alburquerque, but the White Sox fell eight games behind the division-leading Tigers.
The Tigers had scored six runs over their previous four games, but matched that total in the first inning against an ineffective Noesi, who struck out Austin Jackson to start the frame. Ian Kinsler singled and Miguel Cabrera walked to start Detroit's huge inning. Victor Martinez then singled to right, and then Hunter and J.D. Martinez singled to center for a 3-0 lead.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Castellanos made it three straight batters to hit a first offering from Noesi. Castellanos, who was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with a right index finger contusion, belted his seventh homer of the year to right field.
"It certainly was a nice way to break the game open and kind of break out of our little scoring slump," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "But when you score like that, six runs and you don't really add on, you always feel you give them an opportunity to get back in. Fortunately today, Max did a nice job."
Alex Avila walked and Andrew Romine singled before Noesi finally got out of the inning with a 6-0 deficit.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Scherzer faced the minimum number of batters over the first five innings and allowed his only run in the seventh when Dayan Viciedo's sacrifice fly plated Alexei Ramirez. Jose Abreu singled to right in the frame to extend his hitting streak to 19 games.
Castellanos singled in Hunter in the bottom of the seventh.
Game Notes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The game was delayed by rain for 26 minutes at the start ... Jackson has hit safely in 16 of his last 18 games ... Hunter had three of Detroit's 13 hits ... Scherzer is 12-5 lifetime against the White Sox.