White Sox 7, Tigers 1: Oh, Boyd

Tigers went into their rubber match today against the Chicago White Sox, with Matthew Boyd on the mound. Boyd had a rough go his last outing, and there’s been a lot of discussion lately about how much of a leash Boyd will continue to get as his starts decline. Today was not a great showing for Boyd if he wanted to prove the Tigers should keep him in the starting rotation

Things started out okay for Boyd, with him featuring his fastball heavily and keeping things going through the first two innings without incident. Then the third inning came around and it all fell apart. First Tim Anderson got an RBI double. Then Tyler Saladino scored Anderson on a single. Then a Matt Davidson three-run homer took the score to 5-0 for the White Sox.

Boyd kept the damage minimal after that, a positive sign, but the offense did nothing to help make back the difference. Giolito loaded the bases with Tigers in the top of the seventh. And then... Jose Iglesias knocked in a grand slam! But wait. Baseball giveth, and baseball taketh away. The ball was so close to the pole it was assessed, and upon review the ball was called foul and Iglesias was sent back to the batter’s box.

Drew VerHagen came on to relieve Boyd, whose final line was 6 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. VerHagen had a clean seventh inning.

In the top of the eighth Ian Kinsler hit a solo home run, but it’s hard not to feel like it would have been the tying run had the Iglesias grand slam stood.

Zac Reininger made his major league debut in the bottom of the eighth, giving up a hit to Jose Abreu on the second pitch. A base hit from Avisail Garcia followed. Abreu scored off a sac fly from Kevan Smith. It wasn’t an optimal first outing for Reininger. Three singles, twos RBIs, and a walk.

The Tigers fell in four players in the ninth to Sox reliever Gregory Infante.

ROARS:

Mikie Mahtook - one of the only Tigers to get on base early in the game, he managed both a triple and a walk.

John Hicks - kept things interesting into the ninth, and another player with a multi-hit night.

HISSES:

Matt Boyd - not great.

Foul poles. Boo.

STREAKS & INFO:

Not an ideal streak to be on, for John Hicks.

As for Kinsler’s HR, it continues an interesting trend for the second baseman.