Tigers 5, White Sox 1: JaCoby Jones hits inside-the-park home run, Tigers win 4th straight

The Detroit Tigers scored three runs in the seventh inning — two on an inside-the-park home run from JaCoby Jones — to give themselves plenty of breathing room in a 5-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday evening. The victory was the Tigers’ fourth in a row, and moved them into sole possession of second place in the AL Central.

Things started off quietly for both teams, but, given who Detroit had on the mound, this is a positive sign. Michael Fulmer rebounded from a rough first outing to hold the White Sox scoreless through three innings. He scattered three hits and a walk, and struck out two. Daniel Norris followed with two solid innings of his own, and also fanned two Chicago batters. The Tigers plated runs in the fourth and sixth, the latter being a solo home run from Niko Goodrum, who had four hits on the game.

Then came the seventh. The White Sox cut Detroit’s lead in half when Danny Mendick tripled, then scored on an Adam Engel groundout. But the Tigers quickly pushed further in front in the bottom of the inning. Jeimer Candelario led off the frame with a triple, and Victor Reyes brought him in to score with an RBI single. Harold Castro followed with a single of his own, but Reyes was thrown out at third base, and Austin Romine then struck out to put the rally in jeopardy. JaCoby Jones came through with his fifth round-tripper of the year, though, giving the Tigers a 5-1 lead.

The five runs would be more than enough for Detroit’s bullpen, who locked the White Sox down over the final few innings. John Schreiber set the Sox down quickly in the sixth before Jose Cisnero surrendered Chicago’s lone run in the next frame. Gregory Soto recorded the final out in the seventh, then worked a quiet eighth inning, and Bryan Garcia danced around a one-out single in the ninth to close out the win.