The hemorrhaging has stopped, but the long-term prognosis remains uncertain.
Behind Freddy Garcia’s strong outing, the White Sox snapped their season-high seven-game losing streak Sunday with a 6-4 victory over Detroit to salvage the final game of the four-game series. Despite the victory, the Sox stayed five games behind Minnesota, a 4-3 winner over Boston.
“That’s why we got him,” Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said of Garcia. “He gets better and better for us.”
The right-hander pitched better than the four runs he allowed in 71 1/43 innings would indicate. He gave up two solo home runs and an RBI single before departing.
Garcia had a three-run cushion thanks to catcher Ben Davis’ three-run homer off Danny Patterson in the second inning.
Patterson had entered the game in relief of starter Jeremy Bonderman, who left two batters earlier when Jose Valentin hit a ball off his left shin. X-rays were negative.
The three early runs seemed more than enough for Garcia, who retired the first eight men he faced until Brandon Inge homered with two outs in the third inning to cut it to 3-1. The Sox made it 5-1 in the fifth when Carlos Lee doubled and scored on a Ross Gload single.
