Tigers-Sox series a good rebuild benchmark

The Tigers worked White Sox starter Jonathan Stiever for 36 pitches in his first Major League inning, including four consecutive three-ball counts to begin Sunday’s series finale. Jorge Bonifacio deposited an RBI single into shallow center field to give Detroit its first lead since the sixth inning of Friday’s series

The Tigers worked White Sox starter Jonathan Stiever for 36 pitches in his first Major League inning, including four consecutive three-ball counts to begin Sunday’s series finale. Jorge Bonifacio deposited an RBI single into shallow center field to give Detroit its first lead since the sixth inning of Friday’s series opener and create an opportunity for a big inning. But when Stiever struck out fellow rookie Daz Cameron to end the threat, the missed opportunity for add-on runs seemed destined to haunt the Tigers.

• Box score

By the time Jeimer Candelario sent a sixth-inning single through the right side for Detroit’s next hit, the White Sox had rallied off Spencer Turnbull, and the Tigers were on their way to a 5-2 loss and their second series sweep at Guaranteed Rate Field this season. It was a reminder of the state of the respective rebuilds.

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While the White Sox have ridden their wave of young talent to the top of the American League Central, the Tigers aren’t quite there yet. Many of Detroit’s key cogs in the rebuild have made their big league debuts this summer, including four of their top seven prospects according to MLB Pipeline’s rankings. White Sox top prospect Luis Robert joined a young core that included reigning batting champion Tim Anderson, third baseman Yoán Moncada, left fielder Eloy Jiménez and American League Cy Young Award candidate Lucas Giolito.

The Tigers went 1-9 against the White Sox this season, losing nine in a row after winning the Aug. 10 series opener at Comerica Park. Detroit is 19-17 against every other team it has faced, including a series win in Cleveland. The White Sox have essentially replaced the Indians as the Tigers’ nemesis. If Detroit is going to contend again, it needs to bridge the gap in key areas.

Starting pitching

This is the strength of the Tigers’ youth movement, and eventually where they have to nullify Chicago’s offensive might. They’ve shown promise, including five no-hit innings from Casey Mize on Friday night before the Sox chased him in the sixth. But the Tigers didn’t get the outings they needed from their more experienced starters against the White Sox this year. Turnbull hung in Sunday after a 28-pitch second inning before a three-run fifth inning widened the gap; he threw 60 pitches over just two innings against the White Sox on Aug. 20 thanks to four walks. Matthew Boyd gave up 10 runs over 8 ⅔ innings in back-to-back losses to the White Sox last month, racking up 14 strikeouts but allowing five home runs. The early exits left manager Ron Gardenhire turning to his bullpen too often to fill innings rather than protect leads.

Tim Anderson
Anderson finished the season series 20-for-39 with 17 runs scored and 10 RBIs. The reigning AL batting champ hits other clubs, too — he’s 15-for-35 against the Royals and 6-for-13 against the Indians — but his damage against Detroit is on another level. Whenever the Tigers tried to adjust their game plan, Anderson was ready, and he served as the catalyst for a dangerous White Sox lineup that outscored the Tigers by a 70-28 margin.

Need the big innings

Stiever wasn’t the only White Sox starter the Tigers struggled to hit. Fellow rookie Dane Dunning lasted 4 ⅓ innings against Detroit in his big-league debut opposite Mize on Aug. 19 before Jeimer Candelario’s three-run homer chased him. But the Tigers missed chances against him earlier in the game. Giolito tossed seven scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts the next day, but the Tigers worked him for deep counts Friday night before chasing him with a three-run sixth inning. Still, they missed a chance to add on once Chicago went to its bullpen from there. The Tigers missed a chance to jump out in front early against Reynaldo Lopez Saturday before the White Sox pulled away.