Quero homers, drives in two (on his bobblehead day!) as White Sox win 4th straight

CHICAGO -- The White Sox scored two runs in the first inning and two in the seventh off Detroit starter Framber Valdez, adding three in the eighth off Beau Brieske, for a 7-1 victory over the Tigers at Rate Field Saturday. It was the South Siders’ fourth straight win and improved them to 5-1 on this homestand and 15-3 in their last 18 at Rate Field.

They also moved to a season-best four games over .500 at 31-27. Since April 17, when the White Sox were 6-13, they have put together a 25-14 record.

Edgar Quero, who had a shared bobblehead giveaway day Saturday with catcher Kyle Teel, and whose wife, Maira, threw out a first pitch, homered in the seventh off Valdez. Rikuu Nishida, a late addition to the starting lineup when Derek Hill was scratched with upper back tightness, delivered a two-out single for the inning’s second run.

Colson Montgomery’s 14th home run and Andrew Benintendi’s two-run homer completed the scoring in the eighth.

Chase Meidroth’s double and walks to Miguel Vargas and Montgomery loaded the bases with nobody out in the first against Valdez, before a wild pitch and a Quero sacrifice fly scored two. The team played its full game without the 20-home run power of Munetaka Murakami, who was placed on the 10-day injured list prior to Saturday’s contest with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain.

Murakami will be out of action for a projected 4 to 6 weeks. But pitching was the main story for the White Sox, starting with Anthony Kay, who allowed only a Wenceel Pérez home run over 5-plus innings, while striking out 3.

Kay departed in the sixth after Randal Grichuk dropped a Riley Greene fly ball in right field to put two runners on with nobody out. Reliever Grant Taylor struck out Spencer Torkelson on three pitches and retired pinch-hitter Colt Keith and Pérez to end the threat. Taylor struck out four over two perfect innings.