White Sox Explode in Fourth, Cruise Past Tigers Behind Vargas’ Two-Homer Night

The Chicago White Sox came to Detroit on Friday night and reminded the Tigers exactly why you don’t let a good team get comfortable in the fourth inning. With José Urquidy pitching respectably and Jackson Jobe melting down faster than ice cream in August, the White Sox turned a tight game into a rout, escaping with a convincing 9-5 victory at Comerica Park.

The Fourth Inning Disaster

Let’s be honest, this game was decided in one catastrophic frame. After Ben Malgeri belted a two-run blast in the bottom of the second and Eduardo Valencia tacked on an RBI double in the third, Detroit had quietly built a 3-1 lead against Urquidy. Jackson Jobe looked like he might navigate through unscathed. Then the fourth inning happened, and suddenly the Tigers pitching staff resembled a batting practice facility.

Tristan Peters launched a two-run homer to tie it. Munetaka Murakami followed with a solo shot that screamed right field. Then, just when you thought the carnage might end, Braden Montgomery tripled sharply to center field, plating two more runs. Five runs scored. Jobe was done. The game was effectively over.

Miguel Vargas was the star of this offensive symphony. The Chicago slugger went 4-for-5 with four hits and six total bases, including two home runs. His first blast, a two-run shot in the sixth, gave the White Sox breathing room at 8-3. His second, a solo moon shot in the eighth, was purely for emphasis. That’s the kind of performance that ends games and sends messages.

A Bright Spot in Defeat

For Detroit, there was at least one silver lining in this otherwise forgettable evening. Ben Malgeri went deep twice himself, becoming one of the few Tigers to put up any kind of fight. His two-run homer in the second and solo shot in the seventh gave the Tigers their only source of pride on Friday night. The kid has some pop, but it wasn’t nearly enough to overcome the White Sox firepower.

Braden Montgomery deserves a mention too, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs and that crucial two-run triple. This wasn’t just a Vargas show, though he was the headliner. The White Sox got contributions up and down their lineup, which is exactly what you need to put away an opponent convincingly.

Urquidy, pitching only 3.2 innings due to the early lead, was serviceable enough to get credited with the win. Three earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts isn’t exactly dominant stuff, but it was enough once the bats came alive. Sometimes that’s all you need when your offense is operating at full throttle.

For the White Sox, this was a statement win on the road against a division opponent who’s had their moments this season. For the Tigers, this was a harsh reminder that pitching meltdowns in crucial innings end ballgames fast. Detroit left Comerica Park on the wrong side of a nine-to-five final score, having been outmuscled by a White Sox team that simply wanted it more on Friday night.