CHICAGO (AP) — Yoán Moncada and Jake Lamb supplied the early power. Yasmani Grandal and Tim Anderson delivered late.
Lance Lynn came through with another solid start, and Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa moved into position to make a jump on baseball’s career wins list.
Moncada and Lamb hit two of Chicago’s four home runs, La Russa closed in on John McGraw for second place and the White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 4-1 on Thursday night.
Moncada and Lamb connected in the first two innings as Chicago grabbed a 2-0 lead. Grandal made it 3-1 with a 457-foot drive to right-center against Casey Mize.
“I’m glad I just had something up in the air and you can see what happens when I do that,” Grandal said.
Anderson added a solo shot in the eighth off Daniel Norris.
La Russa picked up career victory No. 2,762 to move within one of McGraw, and the White Sox won for the eighth time in 11 games.
Lynn (7-1) went six innings, allowing one run and four hits. The right-hander threw 89 pitches in improving to 6-0 in his past seven starts.
Aaron Bummer and Evan Marshall each worked an inning. Liam Hendriks came on in the ninth for his American League-leading 14th save in 16 chances, and the White Sox got their 12th win in 13 games against Detroit.
Willi Castro homered leading off the fifth, but the Tigers came up short after winning four of five.
SOLID START
Mize (3-4) gave up three runs and five hits in seven innings.
“He’s very good, and we continue to see him throw quality outings,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He’s not going to be happy with tonight. We’re not happy with the results tonight. But he threw the ball well.”
GOING DEEP
Moncada, who entered on a 10-for-19 tear, gave the White Sox a 1-0 lead with two outs in the first. He drove a 1-2 splitter down and around the outside edge the opposite way into the left-field bullpen for his fifth home run.
Lynn got out of a bases-loaded jam in the second when he struck out Jake Rogers after giving up a two-out single to Niko Goodrum and walking the next two batters.
Lamb made it 2-0 in the bottom half when he crushed a long, two-out drive to right for his fourth homer.
The Tigers cut it to 2-1 when Castro drove the first pitch of the fifth beyond the right-field bullpen.
GIOLITO TOSSED
White Sox ace Lucas Giolito was ejected for the second time in his career prior to the ninth inning. La Russa wasn’t sure what Giolito said to get tossed, just that he was “having some fun” in the dugout. But plate umpire Will Little apparently was not amused.
“He was just having fun with the umpire,” a chuckling La Russa said. “He’s a special individual. … That’s all it was, he was just trying to have fun. I don’t blame him for trying to have some fun. But umpires are very careful about listening to complaints.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: OF Victor Reyes (strained left intercostal) was placed on the 10-day injured list and OF Derek Hill was recalled from Triple-A Toledo. Reyes is hitting .157 in 27 games.
White Sox: OF Andrew Vaughn was placed on the COVID-19 injured list, with GM Rick Hahn saying the prized rookie was asymptomatic. “Our hope is that, similar to our other IL placements of this nature, he will return shortly to the active roster,” Hahn said in a statement. “At this time, no other players on the roster are impacted.” Chicago recalled INF/OF Gavin Sheets from Triple-A Charlotte. … Lynn said he felt some tightness at the end of his outing. He was examined afterward and is “good to go.”
UP NEXT
The four-game series continues with LHP Dallas Keuchel (4-1, 4.53 ERA) starting for Chicago and RHP Spencer Turnbull (4-2, 2.93) going for Detroit. Both pitchers are 3-0 in their past four starts, though Keuchel’s ERA in that span is 5.82 while Turnbull’s is 1.67. Turnbull pitched a no-hitter in Seattle last month.
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