The Detroit Tigers will try to secure a fourth straight victory on Wednesday, as they battle the Chicago White Sox in the third test of a four-game series at U.S. Cellular Field.
The Tigers have won three in a row, giving the club its longest winning streak since a five-game run from July 2-6. The current hot stretch has helped Detroit extend its lead atop the AL Central to 3 1/2 games over the Cleveland Indians.
Detroit has outscored the White Sox by a combined 13-5 margin in the first two games of this set, taking the opener by a 7-3 score before winning Tuesday's clash, 6-2.
Rick Porcello pitched seven shutout innings in Game 2, and Jhonny Peralta and Hernan Perez each drove in two runs to power the Tigers' offense.
Porcello (7-6) allowed four hits, three walks and had only one strikeout, but won his third straight start.
The Tigers did play without baseman Miguel Cabrera, who was held out of the contest due to a sore left hip flexor muscle. The reigning AL MVP is questionable for this evening's game.
Paul Konerko had a two-run double in the ninth inning for the last-place White Sox, who have dropped five of their last seven contests. They committed four errors after having three in the opening contest of this four-game series Monday.
"All major league ball clubs are trying to take advantage of any kind of weak link," Detroit outfielder Torii Hunter said. "Baseball's such a tough game. You have to take advantage of those mistakes."
Hector Santiago (3-6) gave up five hits and six runs -- three earned -- over six innings. He had six strikeouts.
The Tigers will send Anibal Sanchez to the mound tonight and he'll try to avoid his third straight loss in as many decisions.
Sanchez has been saddled with the loss in each of his past two outings, dropping his season record to 7-7. After yielding four earned runs in a loss to the White Sox on July 11, Sanchez was handed another defeat on Friday despite surrendering just one run on four hits in six innings against Kansas City. The right-hander walked five batters and struck out three in the setback against the Royals.
His start against Chicago on July 11 was Sanchez's first career appearance against the White Sox. Sanchez is 2-5 with a 3.51 ERA in nine road starts this season.
John Danks will shoot for his first win in over three weeks when he gets the call for the White Sox tonight.
Danks is 2-7 on the season and 0-2 over his last three starts. The lefty last picked up a win against Baltimore on July 2, but has gone winless since despite going over six innings in each of his past three outings.
Danks pitched Friday against Atlanta and took the loss after yielding five runs and seven hits over seven innings.
In 16 career games against the Tigers, Danks is just 4-7 with a 5.36 ERA.
Detroit is 3-2 versus the White Sox this season and 15-8 against them since the start of the 2012 campaign.
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