Jonathan Cannon struggled, but poor defense and hits put the nail in the coffin for the White Sox

The South Siders tank the opener against the Tigers

The White Sox might have rallied in the ninth, but it was too little too late thanks to poor pitching and terrible plate appearances.

Miguel Vargas started the game with a stand-up double. Alas, in a tale as old as time, he was stranded even after stealing third. After review, Kerry Carpenter put the Tigers on the board early with a one-out solo home run. The run was first ruled a foul, but it just got inside the foul pole, reversing the ruling on the field. Riley Greene followed with a single. After putting Jonathan Cannon to work, Spencer Torkelson drew a walk, prompting Ethan Katz to make an early mound visit to calm the young pitcher. The outfield contained any further damage by fielding pop-outs and ending the first inning.

Matt Thaiss had a quality at-bat in the second with a 9-pitch, two-out walk to keep the inning alive. Brooks Baldwin kept it going with an RBI single. Thaiss booked it to home plate, and thanks to Dillon Dingler and Trey Sweeney’s inability to handle the ball, Thaiss was called safe to tie the game. Travis Jankowski ended the inning by striking out.

Cannon continued to struggle with command in the bottom of the second, hitting Dingler with a pitch and working up his third full count of the game with Sweeney. Justyn-Henry Malloy walked with two outs, to put two on for Carpenter, as Cannon continued to rack up his pitch count. Thankfully, the defense had some competency and gloved the ball to end the inning.

Flaherty retired Sox batters in order for a quick top of the third. Cannon plunked Torkelson with one out, for his second hit batter of the game. Zach McKinstry reminded Cannon & Co. why hitting batters can be detrimental as a single got by Lenyn Sosa and a throw to the plate missed Thaiss by a mile, putting the Tigers back in the lead by one run. Another call was reversed after AJ Hinch challenged a strike three call, and allowed Dingler to plate another Detroit runner. Sweeney went down on strikes, but not without Cannon’s pitch count climbing to 79 before ending the inning.

Nick Maton started the fourth with a one-out walk. The White Sox caught a break thanks to Javier Báez being inept. Sosa reached on a fielder’s choice, fielded by Báez. Alas, a double play was turned during the next at-bat and runners are once again stranded.

Cannon was pulled after striking out Malloy with a sinker at the bottom of the zone for the second out. Cannon went 3 2⁄3 innings on 88 pitches and gave up three hits, three walks and three runs. Brandon Eisert stepped in to face Carpenter, but allowed him to get his second homer of the day instead. Greene followed up with a double. Torkelson singled, and with another poor throw home, Greene scored, putting the Tigers up by four. The White Sox just barely beat Keith to first to put a stop to a rough inning.

Flaherty continued to do what he does best, controlling the White Sox with an average fastball for three easy outs in the top of the fifth.

McKinstry singled and advanced to second on a throwing error by Sosa. Sweeney tripled on a sharp fly ball to center, allowing McKinstry to score, putting the Tigers up 6-1 before ending the fifth.

Flaherty was pulled after facing three batters and striking out Andrew Vaughn for the second out in the sixth. Tyler Holton stepped in and finished off the inning with a strike out on Austin Slater.

Bryse Wilson entered the game to relieve Eisert of his duties. After getting Carpenter out, he gave up a run to Greene, and the White Sox trailed by six. Torkelson struck out swinging, but Keith kept the inning alive with a two-out double. After issuing a walk, Dingler grounded out to end the inning.

Holton retired the White Sox in order for a quick start of the seventh. Despite issuing a walk to the first batter, Wilson had a quiet bottom of the seventh.

The South Siders showed signs of life in the eighth as Kenta Maeda showed trouble with command. Travis Jankowski singled and Luis Robert Jr. walked, but were ultimately stranded. Wilson maintained control, and even kept Greene from completing the cycle after serving up a line out.

Austin Slater lead off with a double in the top of the ninth. Sosa followed up with a single, sending Slater to third with no outs. In a shocking turn of events, Korey Lee managed to put the ball in play over the head of Ryan Kreidler, sending Slater home and Maeda off the mound.

Will Vest stepped in to face Baldwin, who drove in his second run of the game, this time on a ground out. Jankowski drew a walk to put two on with one out, and Vargas beat out a potential double play, not only keeping the game alive, but sending Lee home. Alas, the rally was ended by Robert striking out to end the game.

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