Box Score

Summary

Tonights pitching match up was a rematch between Chad Durbin and John Danks that left both pitchers pretty banged up. This was not quite the case for Chad Durbin tonight as he turned in an extremely impressive performance in Chicago. Durbin pitched amazingly earning 9 strikeouts over eight innings of work without a single walk and only three hits.

Detroit’s offense had Chad’s back as well as they started off hot once again knocking four back to back hits to start the game and bring in three runs. The Tigers never looked back as Durbin held the White Sox at bay for his first win as a Detroit Tiger.

Pitching

It was all Chad Durbin tonight turning in what was probably his best performance of his major league career and certainly his best for Detroit. Lasting a full 8 innings with 106 pitches, Durbin started his day getting out 7 batters in a row and ended his day knocking down 11 Sox in a row.

Chad started the game off a little rocky giving up some long fly balls that neared the warning track but by the fourth inning he really hit his stride. His breaking ball was hot this evening and Sox batters clearly didn’t quite know what to do with it.

Zumaya had an awful ninth inning getting the first two outs before hitting a batter, allowing a hit and then walking the bases loaded and walking in two runs. His control of the ball was nowhere to be seen tonight and he backed way off on his speed and looked pretty bad.

Todd Jones was brought in with the bases loaded and the Tigers up by four runs but for the good news, Brian Anderson was batting. Todd got Anderson to ground-out to preserve the win and end a stressful inning.

Hitting

The Detroit battery started the game off strong under Pudge (double), Polanco (single), Sheffield (double) and Ordonez (single). This brought in a total of three runs in the first and they knocked around Danks similarly to Friday’s game.

Each of the Tigers first four had multi-hit games with Pudge and Ordonez having three hits a piece. Brandon Inge also had a couple of hits and scored a run which was great to see. Collectively the Tigers hit .342 but worked no walks.

Marcus Thames had a tough evening at the plate striking out on each of his appearances. Neither Curtis Granderson or Craig Monroe had hits in the game either.