White Sox 6, Tigers 3: Jordan Zimmermann’s brutal start snaps Detroit’s win streak

After eight straight wins and two sweeps, the Tigers succumbed to a loss at the hands of a rough Jordan Zimmermann start. The offense was quiet yet again, but the team didn’t have much of a chance to recover after the second inning. The Tigers found themselves facing a 6-3 loss to the White Sox — though they won the series.

Zimmermann did not look like a starter ready to be back from the disabled list, and he pitched like it. He’d struggled in the minors with his rehab starts, and in his first start since June 30, the issues stood out. No one pitch was working for Zimmermann and he failed to make it out of the second inning, putting the Tigers in a five-run hole.

The Tigers’ bullpen kept Chicago silent the rest of the way, but the offense struggled to drive in some run support for the second straight game. Ian Kinsler homered to tie it in the first, but then the team couldn’t scratch out a run again until the seventh. Even then, they managed just one run on three straight hits to start the frame and after Miguel Cabrera’s solo shot in the eighth, didn’t score again.

However, the bullpen was at least lights-out again after a couple of not so great days. Mark Lowe, who has been the human white flag of late, gave Detroit two scoreless innings of work and he didn’t look entirely awful on the mound, either. Alex Wilson was quietly brilliant, and Kyle Ryan mowed through his portion of the afternoon.

ROARS:

Ian Kinsler: Slammed a home run to left to tie the game early on.

Miguel Cabrera: Golfed a homer into left, cutting into the deficit. He also singled in the first.

Tigers bullpen: Did what Zimmermann could not and kept the White Sox off the board.

J.D. Martinez: Had a two-hit day in his first full game back from the DL, including a run scored in the seventh after a leadoff single. His other hit was a double.

HISSES:

Jordan Zimmermann: Gave up six runs in less than two innings and didn’t make it out of the second. First start back from the DL and it was short-lived.

Tigers offense: As daunting as the five-run deficit was for Detroit, the offense still failed to get to Quintana in any significant way.

STATS AND INFO:

• Jordan Zimmermann lasted just 1 2/3 innings on Thursday, a tie for the shortest outing of his career. His last was on April 9, 2014 when he gave up five runs on seven hits.
• The two home runs allowed by Zimmermann is the third time he’s done so in a start this year. He last surrendered two in a start on June 8 when he gave up seven runs on eight hits across 4 2/3 innings.
• Alex Wilson’s 2 1/3 scoreless innings extended his uninherited-runner scoreless streak to 12 innings. Five of the 10 runners he’s inherited have come around to score since the start of July, though.
• Since May 31, Wilson has amassed a 0.96 ERA in 28 2/3 innings for the lowest ERA among American League relievers with a minimum of 25 innings pitched in that time frame. Seven of the 18 runners he’s inherited in that time have scored — or 39 percent.
• Miguel Cabrera’s home run was his 25th of the season, giving him at least 25 homers in all but two of his 14 seasons at the MLB level.
• The Tigers’ loss and a win by the Indians over Minnesota moves Detroit back to three games behind in the AL Central standings, and back into a tie for the second Wild Card with the Red Sox.

WIN PROBABILITY GRAPH: