Carpenter homers twice, Flaherty wins in Detroit return, Tigers beat White Sox 7-4 in home opener
DETROIT (AP) — Kerry Carpenter hit a pair of solo home runs and the Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox 7-4 Friday for their 14th win in their last 17 home openers.
Carpenter’s third career multihomer game backed Jack Flaherty (1-0), who allowed one run and three hits while striking out seven over 5 2/3 innings in his first Comerica Park start since July 16. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 30, then returned to the Tigers as a free agent for a $35 million, two-year contract.
Riley Greene had three hits, including a solo homer. Greene’s sixth-inning homer had an exit velocity of 114.3 mph, the second hardest-hit ball of his big league career.
Zach McKinstry, Trey Sweeney, Spencer Torkelson and Dillon Dingler also drove in runs before a crowd of 44,735.
Chicago lost its third straight and dropped to 2-5, a year after losing a post-1900-record 121 games.
Brooks Baldwin drove in two runs for the White Sox, who scored three runs inthe ninth innings.
Chicago starter Jonathan Cannon (0-1) gave up three runs, three hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Key moment
White Sox manager Will Venable replaced Cannon, who threw 88 pitches, with left-hander Brandon Eisert with two out and no one on in the fourth. Eisert gave up Carpenter’s second homer, a Riley Greene double and Torkelson’s RBI single as Detroit’s lead grew to 5-1.
Key stat
Carpenter was Detroit’s first player with multiple homers in the home opener since Prince Fielder hit a pair against the New York Yankees on April 5, 2013.
Up next
White Sox RHP Davis Martin (0-0), who held the Los Angeles Angels to two unearned runs in his season debut last weekend, will start Saturday along with Tigers RHP Reese Olson (0-1).
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