Jake Burger’s game-ending grand slam gave Liam Hendriks his first win since returning from cancer, and the Chicago White Sox defeated the Detroit Tigers 6-2 on Sunday to sweep the three-game series. .
Hendriks (1-0) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out two. It was the third major league appearance for the All-Star closer since he missed the start of the season after being diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Hendriks’ victory coincided with National Cancer Survivors Day in the United States.
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Chicago White Sox reliever Liam Hendriks reacts after Detroit Tigers’ Tyler Nevin struck out during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, June 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
«Hopefully I can keep moving forward and keep doing at least the right thing on the field, and give people some hope to keep fighting,» Hendriks said.
Yoan Moncada and Tim Anderson walked with one out to load the bases for Burger, who hit a drive to left-center off Alex Lange (3-1) for his 12th home run of the season. It was the first home run of his career and the end of the game.
«We’ve faced (Lange) a couple of times and he’s a great pitcher,» Burger said. «Today, we got the better of him, but he beat us the last two outings. That’s baseball.»
Spencer Torkelson hit a two-run homer for Detroit, which has lost five of six. Matthew Boyd struck out nine while pitching five one-run innings.
Tigers manager AJ Hinch said Lange had «a good run» but was «a little erratic» in the ninth.
«(The grand slam) makes it hurt even more when you can’t finish the game,» Hinch said. «Frustrating day.»
BRUTAL DEFENSIVE MISTAKE BY RED SOX LEADS LITTLE LEAGUE RAYS HOME RUN
Chicago White Sox’s Jake Burger (30, center,) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a grand slam during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Chicago, Sunday, May 4. June 2023. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
It was the first home run allowed by Lange in 25 appearances this year.
«It sucks,» Lange said. «You hate to ruin it for the guys. They fought hard all day… It’s hard, but you keep going.»
White Sox right-hander Michael Kopech allowed two runs and three hits in seven innings. He struck out nine and walked one.
Torkelson’s fifth home run gave the Tigers a 2–0 lead in the fourth, but Eloy Jiménez responded with an RBI single for the White Sox in the bottom half.
Chicago tied it at 2 on Yasmani Grandal’s bases-loaded single with two outs in the sixth. Detroit reliever Will Vest gave up back-to-back singles to Luis Robert Jr. and Jimenez before walking Andrew Vaughn to load the bases for Grandal.
Robert caught Javier Baez’s drive off the center-field wall in the eighth, stranding Zach McKinstry at second. Detroit’s Jake Marisnick returned the favor in the bottom of the eighth, catching Vaughn’s fly ball off the wall.
Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Alex Lange walks off the field after Chicago White Sox’s Jake Burger hit a grand slam during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, June 4. of 2023. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
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White Sox manager Pedro Grifol made a series of substitutions late in the game, saying fans were one inning away from seeing Burger at second base if it weren’t for his grand slam.
Grifol tagged Andrew Benintendi to bat for Clint Frazier, and Benintendi singled before Moncada drew a pinch-hit walk. Anderson’s walk set the stage for Burger’s deciding swing.
«You expect just a fly ball, a sacrifice fly,» Grifol said. «To be honest with you, I didn’t even see the ball come out. I knew when the ball was hit, we were going to win the game.»
NOTICEABLE
Tigers: LHP Tarik Skubal (left flexor tendon surgery) pitched two innings for High-A West Michigan as he began a rehab assignment. … RHP Garrett Hill has been recalled from Triple-A Toledo. … INF Miguel Cabrera rejoined the team after attending his daughter’s graduation on Saturday.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Tigers: LHP Joey Wentz (1-5, 7.28 ERA) starts Monday as Detroit opens a series at Philadelphia.
White Sox: RHP Lucas Giolito (4-4, 4.08 ERA) starts Tuesday as Chicago opens a series in New York against the Yankees.