Mission very not accomplished.
The White Sox again started fast, pouring it on the Tigers early, and punctuated a three-game sweep with a 9-2 win here this afternoon.
This game was over quickly. The White Sox scored five times in the second inning and led 6-1, driving out starter Mickey Lolich to mark his shortest outing of the year, by far.
The White Sox banged out 17 hits as they sent the Tigers (14-22) to their fifth straight loss (season high), sixth in seven games, and tenth in their last 13 games.
The Chisox jumped on Lolich to the tune of eight hits and six runs in two innings, highlighted by Carlos May's opposite field home run to left field, a three-run blast.
"The ball carried today," Lolich said, referring to May's homer and Bucky Dent's first inning triple. "But that's no excuse. I didn't locate, and they punished me for it."
Chicago's Jorge Orta was particularly troublesome; the second baseman had three hits (including a triple), scored three runs, and was hit by a pitch. The latter caused a mini ruckus as Orta had some words for Tigers pitcher Gene Pentz as he went to first base. Nothing came of it, however.
The Tigers again had a bad hits-to-runs ratio: 11 to 2, which has been a problem all season. They left nine men on base.
And the team pitching is now starting to show signs of cracking; the team ERA has jumped from 3.68 to 4.20 during the losing streak.
Lolich (4-5) was hammered for six runs in two innings
"Well, this is what happens when you're going bad," manager Ralph Houk said. "Everything goes south at once, usually. Today was a total breakdown."
Reliever Dave Lemanczyk did stop the bleeding, pitching four strong innings, allowing just one run.
But by that time the damage was done.
The Tigers scored single runs in the second and ninth innings. That was it for their offense.
The sweep at the hands of the White Sox gave the Tigers a 2-7 record on their three-city, nine-game road trip. They are now an identical 7-11 at home and on the road.
And the Tigers are also in a virtual tie for last place with the 15-23 Cleveland Indians.
"You are what you are in this game," Houk said. "We're a last place team right now and we deserve that. The only people who can change that is us."
The Tigers start a three-game set on Memorial Day with the Minnesota Twins at Tiger Stadium, followed by a series next weekend at home against these same White Sox.
Notes: Some good news was that Nate Colbert had a triple and a home run and has five hits in his last four games...Willie Horton was gunned down at home plate in the fourth inning, trying to score from first on a Bill Freehan double...Lolich's ERA went from 2.29 to 3.01.
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Tigers record: 14-22 (actual 17-19)
Home: 7-11
Away: 7-11
Last 10: 3-7
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