White Sox 11, Tigers 4: Anibal Sanchez betrayed by defense and bullpen, Joakim Soria rocked in home debut

Sloppy defense and a horrific home debut from Joakim Soria cost the Detroit Tigers dearly, the Chicago White Sox breaking open a 2-2 game with seven runs in the seventh inning, cruising to an 11-4 victory. The loss was the fourth straight for the Tigers, who apparently are not familiar with the term "Home sweet home.". The loss drops Detroit to .500 at Comerica Park, falling to 26-26 on the season.

Detroit had their chances against White Sox starter Jose Quintana (W, 6-7), who held the Tigers to two runs while scattering nine hits and walking two.

Tigers' starter Anibal Sanchez was pulled after 6 1/3 innings, undermined by his defense and bullpen. Sanchez was charged with five runs, four earned, on six hits, striking out six and walking two.

Asked to extinguish a small White Sox uprising, Soria took over for Sanchez and proceeded to turn the game into a blowout. Soria retired one of the seven batters he faced, allowing both inherited runners to score  along with being charged for four additional runs on six hits, including back-to-back home runs, in just 1/3 of an inning.

Ian Krol wasn't much better for the Tigers, rocked for three hits and two runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Jose Abreu's remarkable rookie season continued with three hits, including his 31st home run of the season in the seventh, driving in four. Adam Eaton and Conor Gillaspie each had three hits, Alexei Ramirez chipped in with a three RBI double and Adam Dunn a solo homer (number 16) in the game-breaking seventh inning.

The Tigers were outhit just 15-12, and Ian Kinlser was the only player to go hitless. But only one of Detroit's hits was for extra bases. Victor Martinez led the Tigers' Punch and Judy attack with three singles and a run scored. Miguel Cabrera had two hits and scored a run. Bryan Holaday drove in two runs with a single and sacrifice fly.

Post game, a dejected Soria admitted he was awful.

"It was probably the worst outing of my career."

ROARS:

Anibal Sanchez: Wasn't the greatest of outings, but Sanchez was solid for six innings, giving up just two runs on five hits. His defense having failed him, Sanchez was pulled from the game in the seventh for Joakim Soria. Soria allowed both inherited runners to score, as the bullpen and defense would hang Sanchez out to dry.

Miguel Cabrera: The power is still missing, but Cabrera had a pair of singles, scoring a run.

Victor Martinez: Three singles and a run scored.

Bryan Holaday: Drove in two runs with a second inning sacrifice fly and an eighth inning single.

Joe Nathan: Pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out two.

HISSES:

Detroit's defense: The Tigers committed three errors in an extremely sloppy performance. I'm not going to get into Eugenio Suarez throwing the ball all over the city of Detroit and was charged with an error. The two most costly errors came in the ugly seventh inning.  No one out and a runner on first, Miguel Cabrera booted Gordon Beckham's ground ball. With one out, Conor Gillaspie was going to be held up at third on Tyler Flowers' single. But Rajai Davis kicked the ball away, allowing Gillaspie to score the tie-breaking run. Of course, the White Sox would make the run moot by crossing the plate six more times in the inning.

Detroit's bullpen: Soria and Krol combined for 1 2/3 innings of giving Tigers fans indigestion, charged with six runs on nine hits, four for extra bases, walking one.

Joakim Soria: The bullpen savoir wasn't. Soria's home debut could not have gone any worse. To say it was an ugly outing is being charitable to ugly outings. Soria entered the game in the seventh inning, two on and one out. The White Sox proceeded to treat the Tigers' big trade deadline pickup as if he were throwing batting practice, crushing six hits, plating six runs. Soria's inning was a nightmare - single to load the bases, three RBI double, two run home run, solo home run, bounce out, single, single. An angry Comerica Park crowd booed Soria off the mound when he was mercifully pulled after 1/3 of an inning.

Mix of boos, astonishment and fans leaving as Soria exits with 4 runs (so far) on 6 hits with 1 out. 9-2 White Sox lead for Ian Krol.

— Jason Beck (@beckjason) July 30, 2014

Somebody better fumigate the Tigers bullpen cause whatever it's got keeps spreading to the good pitchers who enter it.

— Bless You Boys (@blessyouboys) July 30, 2014

A frustrated Matt Sheppard on FSD's post game summed up Soria's two games as a Tiger:

"Since he's (Soria) donned the English D, he's been bad. Terrible."

Ian Krol: Asked to clean up after Soria crapped the bed, to his credit Krol got the final out of the seventh. But Krol reverted back to his frustratingly hittable self in the eighth, allowing two runs on three hits and walk.

Jose Abreu: The Tigers have not been able to stop the White Sox's rookie first baseman, who has punished Detroit pitching for five home runs and nine RBI in ten games. Four RBI tonight gives Abreu 83 on the season, pushing him to the MLB lead over Miguel Cabrera, who remained at 81.

NOTES:

Tigers fan Jack White continues to to rehab his baseball image after his infamous angry Cubs face picture. Then again, I'd look pissy too if I were wearing a Cubbies jersey.

White threw out the first pitch to Santa Claus, who was stationed behind the plate on Christmas in July night. Honestly, the game was more like "The Nightmare Before Christmas."

There was a change in Detroit's original starting lineup. Nick Castellanos was a late scratch due to suffering a right index finger contusion after being hit by a ground ball during batting practice. The Tigers are calling the injury day-to-day.

Castellanos' removal from the lineup caused several positional dominoes to fall. J.D. Martinez, who originally had the night off, was inserted into the lineup as the right fielder and batting in Castellanos' customary seven spot. Miguel Cabrera moved from first base to third, Victor Martinez was switched from DH to first base and Torii Hunter slid from right to DH.

Eugenio Suarez got the start at shortstop, but was replaced by Andrew Romine in the fourth inning due to lower back tightness. Like Castellanos, his rookie compatriot on the left side of the infield, Saurez is considered day-to-day.

The injuries to the rookies left the Tigers with an extremely short bench for the remainder of the game - Don Kelly and Alex Avila. Not that it made any difference after the White sox scored 11 unanswered runs.

STREAKS AND STATS:

Miguel Cabrera ended the road trip on an 0-for-9 skid. He didn't take long to snap the hitless skein, singing to right in the first inning.

Bryan Holaday's second inning sacrifice fly was the 46th of the season for the Tigers. They had 47 sacrifice flies during the entire 2013 season.

Anibal Sanchez has not had the best of months. In the four July starts prior to tonight, Sanchez had allowed 17 earned runs over 25 innings, a 6.12 ERA. Of those 17 runs, 16 had come in three appearances, and nine in the last two. Sanchez was on track for a bounce-back performance by giving up two runs in six innings, then the seventh inning occurred. Sanchez was ultimately charged with five runs, four earned, in 6 1/3 innings, actually lowering his July ERA to 6.03.

As a Ranger this season, Joakim Soria had not allowed a home run in 35 appearances covering 33 1/3 innings.  He allowed back-to-back shots in the seventh, the first home runs Soria has given up since September 22, 2013.

Soira's ERA as Ranger - 2.70. Soria's ERA as a Tiger - 54.55.

Victor Martinez had his first three hit game since May 24.

The loss drops Detroit to a ridiculous .500 at home, at 26-26. In 2013, the Tigers played .630 ball at Comerica, finishing the season 51-30. They were a hair worse in 2012, 50-31, .617.

WIN PROBABILITY GRAPH:

Source: FanGraphs

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