Yoendrys Gomez pitched five sharp innings in his first major league start and Colson Montgomery punctuated a five-run fifth with a two-run single as the host Chicago White Sox defeated the Detroit Tigers 9-6 on Tuesday.
Chicago evened the three-game series at one game apiece behind a 13-hit attack that also coaxed two bases-loaded walks. Edgar Quero smacked a solo home run as part of a 3-for-5, three-RBI effort while Mike Tauchman, Kyle Teel and Curtis Mead added two hits each.
Detroit drew within the final margin on Colt Keith’s three-run home run in the ninth. Keith and Riley Greene both had two hits for the Tigers.
Recalled from Triple-A Charlotte before the game, Gomez shined in his first big-league action since May 19. The rookie right-hander, who also pitched with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers this season, yielded one run and one hit.
Gomez (2-1) walked one, hit two batters and struck out a career-high seven. Jordan Leasure fanned Spencer Torkelson for the final out to earn his fourth save.
Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty retired the first six batters and limited the White Sox to a pair of singles through four innings before encountering major trouble in the fifth.
Chicago delivered four straight hits to open the inning, including Mead’s game-tying bloop single that fell beyond shortstop Trey Sweeney. Montgomery gave the White Sox a 3-1 lead, smacking a two-run single to right field. Luis Robert Jr. added an RBI single to end Flaherty’s night, and Teel later worked a bases-loaded walk from Brant Hurter to cap the outburst.
Flaherty (6-12), who defeated the White Sox on April 4 and June 2, permitted five runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked one and fanned six.
Detroit took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly from Wenceel Perez.
Dillon Dingler hit a two-run home run in the seventh to draw the Tigers within 6-3. Robert, Chicago’s center fielder, tipped the ball over the fence with his glove while attempting a leaping catch.
The start of the game was delayed by 50 minutes due to rain.
Detroit fell to 6-3 against Chicago this season.
