DETROIT -- The Tigers struck early against White Sox starter Hector Santiago, but it was the Chicago offense that clobbered Detroit pitching. Supported by eight runs, four home runs, and 12 hits, Santiago earned his first win of the season during the 8-4 White Sox victory over the Tigers on Saturday at Comerica Park.
"I think when we can just go out there and compete, and give our team a chance to win, it's definitely nice to get that first win out of the way and hopefully put a lot more on [the board]," Santiago said. "[Command was] good overall. I don't think I had a walk until the last inning, not too many three-ball counts, so overall I felt pretty good. Even the last guy that I ended up walking was two pretty close pitches."
Chicago's offense found no luck against Tigers starter Francisco Liriano early on. The White Sox managed two hits and three walks while striking out seven times before an RBI double from Jose Abreu put them on the board in the third inning. The tide changed in the fifth inning, when Tim Anderson jumped on a two-seam fastball for a 374-foot home run, and Abreu followed suit with his own solo shot.

The score evened at 3-3, the White Sox challenged Liriano. Chicago eventually forced him from the game, when Daniel Palka led off the sixth with a home run and Liriano allowed the next batter, Yoan Moncada, to single. Louis Coleman entered in relief to allow a single, followed by a three-run homer to Anderson. Palka's RBI single in the seventh capped a thrilling day at the plate for the White Sox and evened the three-game series.

"As a pitching staff, we definitely felt that [pressure from Friday night]," Santiago said. "That [loss] was all on us. The guys put up enough runs to win that game yesterday, so we tried to keep it close and low-scoring, so we can put up a few more runs and get a win today."
MOMENT THAT MATTERED
The White Sox trailed 3-1 after four innings, but home runs by Anderson and Abreu in the fifth erased the deficit. The Chicago offense, having struck out seven times to that point, jumped on Liriano's command struggles to tie the game. The odds continued in the White Sox favor when Palka started the sixth inning with a go-ahead home run.
SOUND SMART
Anderson's four-RBI day marked a new career high. He homered in the fifth with one out, and then blasted a three-run homer in the sixth to put the exclamation point on a turnaround day for the offense. He also walked in the third, which led to the White Sox getting on the board when Abreu smacked a two-out RBI double.
YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
After striking out seven times in 4 1/3 innings, the White Sox smoked three home runs against Liriano in the space of five batters to tie the score and then take the lead for the first time in the game.
HE SAID IT
"Hector gave us a solid five and kept them to three [runs]. I know he only had 80-some pitches when we took him out, but I thought he did a good job. Once we took the lead, we wanted to see if we could close it out with the rest of the guys. For the most part, they all did a nice job." -- White Sox manager Rick Renteria

ANDERSON FAVORING BRUISED THUMB
Anderson's day at the plate may have been spectacular, but his defense suffered in the ninth. The Tigers scored a fourth run in the ninth on consecutive errors by Anderson. There's a reason for it, though, as Renteria said Anderson is battling a bruised right thumb.

"Anything he goes to do really jars it. Anybody who's had bruised thumbs or joints, it's pretty painful, and he's playing through it. He's got tape to protect it as best he can, and I think some of those balls, [that] may have been part of why they got away from him a little bit. And the throw, obviously, because he's having a tough time trying to grip it. We'll keep an eye on it."
UP NEXT
The White Sox hope to win the series against the Tigers by sending right-hander James Shields to the mound Sunday to face Detroit lefty Blaine Hardy. Shields has given the White Sox strong starts in May, with three runs allowed in his last two games and a 3.27 ERA in his last five games. First pitch is set for 12:10 p.m. CT.