Tigers notch convincing 7-3 win over White Sox, move closer to .500 mark

Chris McCosky
The Detroit News

Detroit — Zach McKinstry wanted no part of the conversation.

“No, I hope nobody starts thinking about it,” he said, hours before he played hero in the Tigers’ rousing 7-3 win over the Chicago White Sox Saturday. “I hope guys just keep playing loose. You start thinking something like that is a possibility, that’s when guys start to tense up and stop playing like themselves.”

Detroit Tigers' Spencer Torkelson hits a one-run double against the Chicago White Sox in the seventh inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 27, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Point taken. There’s still four months of baseball left to play. But at what point does this all start to feel real. It’s almost June and the Tigers (24-26) are two games under .500 and just two games behind the Twins for the Central Division lead.

“We know we’re in it,” said Riley Greene. “Obviously, that’s where we want to be, first place. But if you start chasing it and start thinking more about it, that’s when things start going downhill. We need to keep our focus on the day-to-day work. Focus on the game today and the rest will take care of itself.”

Tigers pitcher Michael Lorenzen throws against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 27, 2023, in Detroit. The Tigers won the game, 7-3.

There were 24,685 fired up folks at the ballgame Saturday who, based on the energy they brought, seem to be buying in to the possibilities, though.

“This is some of the most fun I’ve had playing ball up here,” catcher Eric Haase said. “Just with the years we’ve had in the past, it’s been so frustrating. You felt like, even when we played good, with the hole we dug for ourselves it just never felt like it mattered.

“But we’re keeping our heads above water now and getting hot at the right time. It’s been good.”

The energy left the park briefly in the top of the seventh inning. After Tigers starter Michael Lorenzen was perfect for 5.2 innings, the White Sox, aided by a two-out throwing error by second baseman Andy Ibanez, scored three unearned runs to take a very sudden 3-2 lead.

“Nobody flinched,” shortstop Zack Short said of the mood in the dugout between innings. “We were picking everybody back up.”

The Tigers countered immediately against right-hander Joe Kelly, who had come in on a 10-game scoreless streak and set down 34 of the last 36 hitters he faced. He tried to throw back-to-back change-ups to McKinstry.

The second one was knocked over the short wall in right field, McKinstry’s third home run of the season.

“That was huge,” Short said. “Everybody was right back on it.”

Greene and Spencer Torkelson followed with back-to-back doubles. Torkelson alertly advanced to third on a ball in the dirt. That brought the infield in which allowed Haase’s blooper to fall in. The Tigers turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead in four hitters.

Short provided the capper. After Jonathan Schoop doubled and advanced to third on a fly ball, Short was given the green light to swing 3-0 against reliever Jimmy Lambert.

“I looked down there for an extra second just to be sure,” Short said. “I figured in that situation I was going to get to swing away. I’m glad we did.”

He pounded the pitch 416 feet over the bullpen in left field.

“That one felt good,” he said. “I knew it was in the air, so it was either going to be a sac fly or a homer. Then I just kind of blacked out. The dugout was going crazy and that was the only thing on my mind. That’s why I forgot to shout-out to the bullpen. So, that’s going to cost me some money.”

If you haven’t noticed, the Tigers have instituted two new game-day traditions. One, players who homer, or pitchers who leave the game give a wave to acknowledge the bullpen. Those who forget have to deal with Alex Lange and the Tigers’ Kangaroo Court.

The other tradition is the HockeyTown-inspired shot on goal in the dugout.

“It’s so much fun,” Short said. “But the pressure to make a goal now weighs on you a little. I made sure I got a little wrist shot in there.”

The vibe is good. The energy is palpable. And the performances, if not always neat and clean, have been consistently gritty. 

“We’re playing good baseball and everyone is playing loose,” said Lorenzen, who relentlessly pounded the strike zone on his way to 17 straight outs. “We’re winning games when it matters and we’ve just got to keep doing that. It’s the same approach. Everyone shows up with a ton of energy. This is the most energy I’ve seen on a team.

“There’s a lot of young guys bringing it each and every day. That’s how you play good, consistent baseball.”

BOX SCORE: Tigers 7, White Sox 3

Lorenzen lost his perfecto to No. 9 hitter Romy Gonzalez with two outs in the sixth. Gonzalez had been 0 for 16 against the Tigers when he slapped a single to center.

“I felt like with my pitch count (at 72 after six innings), I had a shot at something good,” he said. “But, just keep with what got me to that point and stick with the process and keep going.”

His process was to pound the strike zone without fear. Eighteen of his first 20 pitches were strikes. He wasn't  getting a ton of swing and miss (eight swinging strikes and four strikeouts), but he induced nine ground-ball outs.

Detroit Tigers' Riley Greene, right, scores as Chicago White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal looks on in the seventh inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 27, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

“He was very dialed in,” manager AJ Hinch said. “And he was very good at keeping his adrenaline and emotions in check as that game was building. We all knew what was going on in the fifth and sixth.”

Lorenzen walked the leadoff hitter in the seventh and then gave up a single to Yoan Moncada. Still, he didn’t panic. He got Andrew Vaughn to pop out and impressively won a 10-pitch fight with Yasmani Grandal, finally striking him out with an elevated, 95-mph fastball.

Chicago White Sox center fielder Adam Haseley can't reach a Detroit Tigers' Riley Greene fly ball in the seventh inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 27, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

He was at 95 pitches and Hinch was on his way to the mound to take him out. It was the only time Lorenzen showed any emotion. He clearly didn’t want to come out of the game.

“You find me a pitcher who hugs me on the mound or in the dugout before they see the outcome and that’ll be a first in my career,” Hinch said. “I love the fact that these guys make me take the ball away from them more than they give me the ball.”

The standing ovation Lorenzen got on his way back to the dugout had to soothe him a little bit.

“Just being a competitor, you want to stay out there,” Lorenzen said. “The way that game was going, I was pretty ticked not to get to seven innings – just at myself. I want to go deeper. But when you have guys like we have at the back end of the bullpen coming in, you feel pretty confident.”

Hinch took a few minutes in the dugout to explain his decision to Lorenzen.

“He had to work so hard at that last at-bat (against Grandal),” Hinch said. “And we’re bringing in one of the best relievers in the game who has done an incredible job of keeping the ball on the ground.”

That would be right-hander Jason Foley, who did, in fact, induce a ground ball. Ibanez played the tough hop well but his throw pulled Torkelson off the bag and the inning was extended.

Left-handed hitting Gavin Sheets exploited the extra out and cleared the bases. He tomahawked a 2-2, 97.5-mph sinker at the top of the strike zone over Greene’s head in center field for a double.

“It was supposed to be a little more inside,” Foley said. “It was a good piece of hitting. It wasn’t even a strike.”

Redemption, though, was soon delivered.

“Baseball is incredible,” Hinch said. “It gives you these emotional rollercoasters but it also gives you the opportunity to pick up your teammates. Andy made a tough play on a bad hop and then a bad throw…Then his teammates come and pick him up with a really big inning against a really good pitcher.

“I don’t know why the sport gives you these opportunities. But I thought our guys did an incredible job picking up their teammate and winning a game.”

Twitter@cmccosky