DETROIT — There had been flashes in recent weeks that Alex Faedo was starting to put things together.
The Tigers right-hander struck out seven over six innings in a loss to the Mariners then was solid early on last week in Washington before things fell apart by the fifth inning.
On Thursday night against the White Sox, it all came together for Faedo in his fourth start since being recalled from Triple-A Toledo as he struck out a career-high 10, gave up only three hits and didn’t issue a walk in six innings of work, leading the Tigers to a 7-2 victory in front of 15,003 at Comerica Park.
The White Sox manufactured a single run in the third and got a home run down the right-field line from Gavin Sheets in the fifth, but Faedo was never truly in trouble, keeping the White Sox at bay until the Tigers' bats got going with four runs in the fourth the break the game open and pull within two games of .500.
Akil Baddoo had a pair of hits for Detroit, including a solo homer to lead off the four-run fourth inning. Javier Báez had a two-run single in the fourth while Spencer Torkelson had a pair of hits, including an RBI single. Riley Greene added two singles, getting his own RBI single in the sixth as he has now hit safely in 21 of the last 25 games.
Zack Short, who drove in three on Wednesday in a pinch-hitting role in Kansas City, added a single in the eighth that drove in two to cap the Detroit scoring. Jose Cisnero, Jason Foley and Mason Englert each pitched a scoreless inning to close things out for the Tigers.
Chicago’s pitchers struggled to throw strikes as starter Lucas Giolito lasted 3 2/3 innings, giving up six hits and walking seven. After Gregory Santos got four straight outs in relief, Garrett Crochet came on and walked four more batters in 1 2/3 innings of work.
It didn’t take long for the Tigers (23-25) to put pressure on the White Sox pitchers as Matt Vierling led off the second inning with a line-drive single to left and advanced to second on Baddoo’s infield single.
With runners on first and second with nobody out, Miguel Cabrera got behind in the count, 0-2, but lined a pitch that appeared to be headed for right-center field. But White Sox second baseman Romy Gonzalez snatched it off the short hop and started the 4-6-3 double play that left Vierling at third with two outs. Eric Haase followed with a walk but the inning ended on a ground out to third by Andy Ibanez.
The White Sox (21-31) got on the board first when Tim Anderson’s two-out single in the top of third scored Jake Burger, who had singled to lead off the inning then stole second. Faedo struck out Gonzalez and Seby Zavala after giving up the single to Burger but Anderson line drive to right plated Burger to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead.
The Tigers loaded the bases on the bottom half of the third with one out, but the threat ended when Vierling lined the ball up the middle, right to where Gonzalez was positioned. He snagged the line drive and easily doubled Greene off second after Greene took off, expecting the ball to head to the outfield.
The Tigers were finally able to take advantage of their opportunities in the fourth when Baddoo led off the inning with a solo shot to right to tie the game, 1-1. Cabrera then walked on four pitches and Haase doubled to left. Another walk to Zach McKinstry loaded the bases with one out and Baez cashed in with his line-drive single to center to put the Tigers on top, 3-1.
After Greene struck out looking, Torkelson drilled a single to left-center to score McKinstry and push the lead to 4-1 before Vierling’s ground out to short ended the inning. The White Sox got one back in the top of the fifth when Sheets homered to right to cut the Tigers’ lead to 4-2. But Faedo struck out the next three to end any potential threat.
Greene’s line drive to center put the Tigers back up three in the sixth as McKinstry scored to make it 5-2 in favor of the home team. Detroit added two more in the eighth on Short’s base hit.
