The day for the Chicago White Sox started off poorly when the team revealed that scintillating starter Chris Sale was going to have to move back into the closer role due to arm soreness, and it ended worse when Detroit Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta hit a walk-off homerun off Matt Thornton to give Detroit a 5-4 victory in the first game of this weekend's series.
The irony of Peralta's walk-off coming on the night that the White Sox moved one of their best starting pitchers to closer is almost too perfect, but the struggling Thornton wasted another splendid start by the rejuvenated Jake Peavy. Peavy put the clamps on Detroit's vaunted offense, allowing only three earned runs on 7.2 innings pitched while striking out six and walking only one.
The White Sox also squandered a homer from Gordon Beckham (who continued his hot hitting with a 3-4 night) that put Chicago up 4-2 in the seventh. Thornton relieved Peavy with an out to go in the eighth and induced a groundout from Prince Fielder, but in the ninth, after retiring Ramon Santiago, he allowed a single to Alex Avila and then the homer to Peralta.
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