Omar Infante's throwing error on a potential double play helped Chicago score two runs in the fifth inning Monday, and the White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 5-4 in a pivotal makeup game.Chicago increased its lead in the AL Central to three games.
Nate Jones (8-0) pitched 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief, and the White Sox won their fourth straight.
The game had been postponed by rain last Thursday, and Monday's makeup was the final meeting of the season between the two front runners in the division.
Addison Reed, the last of three relievers in the ninth, got the final out for his 27th save in 31 chances.
Trailing 4-3, the White Sox loaded the bases for a third straight inning in the fifth, driving out Detroit starter Doug Fister (9-9).
When Dayan Viciedo hit a one-out grounder to short, the Tigers tried to turn the inning-ending double play, but Alex Rios slid hard into second baseman Infante and forced an errant throw that got by Prince Fielder as two runs scored, giving Chicago the lead.
Detroit won the season series 12-6 and captured 9 of the final 11 games between the teams, including two of three last week before the four-game series finale was postponed.
Each team has 16 games remaining. Chicago heads to Kansas City and Anaheim to finish out this week while Detroit goes home to face the Athletics and Twins.
Delmon Young drove in three runs for the Tigers with a pair of singles, but Detroit couldn't hold on to an early 3-0 lead. Tigers pitchers walked six and hit two batters.
Chicago loaded the bases again in the eighth and was on the verge of adding an insurance run when Adam Dunn hit a fly ball to left with one out. But before Gordon Beckham could cross the plate, Dewayne Wise was thrown out trying to go from second to third--a double play that ended the inning.
Neither starter got out of the fifth. Jose Quintana, who beat the Tigers a week ago in his previous start, gave up seven hits and four runs in four. And Fister, who defeated the White Sox last Tuesday, gave up eight hits and five runs -- four -- earned, also in four innings.
Avisail Garcia, Gerald Laird and Austin Jackson hit consecutive singles to open the third for a 1-0 Detroit lead. After a sacrifice, Quintana intentionally walked Miguel Cabrera to load the bases. He then struck out Prince Fielder, but Young hit a two-run single to put the Tigers up three.
The White Sox had three singles off Fister to load the bases in the bottom half, but the 6-foot-8 right-hander struck out Kevin Youkilis and Dunn to end the threat. Chicago tied it in the fourth when Beckham was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Wise had a two-run single.
Cabrera led off the fifth with a double and Fielder was ruled safe at first when Dunn fielded his grounder and flipped to Quintana covering. Chicago manager Robin Ventura came out for an explanation from first base umpire Mike Muchlinski and replays appeared to show that Quintana beat Fielder to the bag by a step.
Young followed with another RBI single to put the Tigers ahead 4-3.
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