DETROIT (AP) — Mike Clevinger combined with two relievers on a three-hitter, Luis Robert Jr. broke up rookie Reese Olson’s no-hit bid to spark a go-ahead, two-run seventh inning and the Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 6-0 on Friday night.
After Robert singled with one out in the seventh, Yoán Moncada hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer that chased Olson (3-7). Moncada added an RBI single in a four-run eighth.
“He was pitching very well, right up to that point,” Moncada said. “I was looking for a fastball, was able to get one and hit it well.”
Coming off a victory Wednesday at Kansas City, Chicago won back-to-back road games for the first time since Aug. 5-6 at Cleveland. The Tigers have lost three of four since sweeping the White Sox last weekend.
Clevinger (7-7) allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked none, improving to 9-3 with a 2.24 ERA against the Tigers. He retired his last 10 batters, six days after allowing Detroit eight runs in four innings.
“It's fun to have these pitcher's duels so you can see who can outlast who,” he said. “He had really good stuff and it makes you compete against every hitter.”
Lane Ramsey and Bryan Shaw each got three outs in Chicago's sixth shutout this season. The Tigers have been blanked 15 times.
Detroit advanced just one batter to scoring position. Andy Ibañez doubled with two outs in the second, but Clevinger struck out Parker Meadows.
“We never got anything going all night,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “That was the story. What made Clevinger so much more effective this time was his fastball was way better.”
Olson, a 24-year-old right-hander, made his 15th big league start and 18th appearance. He allowed two runs and two hits in 6 2/3 innings with one walk, a hit batter and five strikeouts. He threw 60 of a career-high 104 pitches for strikes.
Robert hit a 2-2 slider into the left-field corner for a double on Olson’s 94th pitch. Eloy Jiménez followed with a flyout and Moncada hit his eighth homer.
“I told him when I took him out that I felt awful about it,” Hinch said. “He was dominant until Robert got the hit, and then he ends up giving up the home run and leaves the game with a bad feeling. Obviously, we didn't leave him any room for error.”
Andrew Benintendi hit a two-run double in the eighth off Brendan White, and Jiménez and Moncada added RBI singles.
TRAINER'S ROOM
SS Javier Báez came out of the game early after experiencing some stiffness in his left elbow — he was hit by a pitch by Clevenger in the third inning. Hinch said the injury isn't serious, but he will give Báez Saturday off.
ON HIS WAY UP
Hinch said RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long will make his major league debut as Detroit's starting pitcher on Sunday. Gipson-Long, acquired from Minnesota last season for reliever Daniel Norris, is 8-8 with a 4.33 ERA in 19 starts and three relief appearances for Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo. He takes the rotation slot of Matt Manning, who broke a foot when hit by a comebacker this week.
UP NEXT
Detroit LHP Tarik Skubal (4-3, 3.77) will face RHP José Ureña (0-4, 9.82) on Saturday.
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