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Chicago White Sox starter Mark Buehrle pitches against the Detroit Tigers in the third inning of an MLB baseball game Sunday, April 6, 2008, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson) |
Tigers lose sixth in a row
DETROIT—Nick Swisher homered on the game's second pitch, Carlos Quentin had four RBIs and the Chicago White Sox handed the Detroit Tigers their sixth straight loss, 13-2 Sunday night.
Despite the second-highest payroll in baseball, the Tigers, the only winless team in the majors, are off to their worst start since going 0-9 at the beginning 2003, when they lost an AL-record 119 games.
All six of Detroit's losses have come at home, and the Tigers were booed loudly by the crowd of 35,230 as the game unraveled. One of the few cheers was a sarcastic ovation after Yorman Bazardo got the last out of Chicago's four-run ninth.
Mark Buehrle (1-0) rebounded from being tagged for seven runs on opening day, holding the Tigers to two runs and seven hits in seven innings. Buehrle was helped by double plays in each of his last four innings.
Justin Verlander (0-1) allowed a career-high nine runs -- four earned -- in 5 2-3 innings. He gave up seven hits and walked three, striking out four.
Swisher made it 1-0 with the first leadoff homer of his career, but the Tigers tied it on Ramon Santiago's RBI double in the third.
Chicago went ahead 3-1 in the fifth on an RBI single by Joe Crede and a run-scoring groundout by Juan Uribe.
The White Sox put the game away with six runs in the sixth. With one out, Paul Konerko reached when Carlos Guillen dropped a throw at first, and Jermaine Dye followed with a double. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Verlander hit Quentin to force in a run.
Crede and Swisher added RBI singles, chasing Verlander. Orlando Cabrera then made it 9-1 with a three-run double off Aquilino Lopez.
Detroit made it 9-2 in the seventh when Buehrle threw a fastball over A.J. Pierzynski's glove and directly into the mask of home-plate umpire Jeff Kellogg. Guillen scored on what was ruled a wild pitch, and Kellogg stayed in the game after being attended by the Tigers training staff.
The Tigers hit into five double plays, all in the last six innings.
(This version CORRECTS White Sox 13, Tigers 2. corrects spelling of 'Buehrle' sted 'Buerhle' throughout)
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