Bartolo Colon answered one of the White Sox’s lingering questions with seven solid innings of three-run ball Friday night.
But as high as the Sox were Thursday after Mark Buehrle’s perfect game moved them into a tie for first place, they suffered a double whammy as the Tigers regained a two-game lead in the American League Central with a 4-3 victory in the nightcap after a 5-1 triumph in the opener of Friday’s day-night doubleheader.
In the first game, the Sox were limited to three hits through the first eight innings against ace Justin Verlander.
The sweep virtually was cinched in the eighth as Scott Linebrink’s woes resurfaced when he allowed a single to Placido Polanco, a double to Magglio Ordonez and an intentional walk to Miguel Cabrera to load the bases.
Matt Thornton relieved and struck out Ryan Raburn but walked Clete Thomas to force in the winning run.
“If we’re going to win this thing we need [Linebrink], and we need him to step it up,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “Every time we put him out there, he has a tough time right now locating the pitch. Everything else is out there, he’s just not locating right, missing his spots.
“If we want to win this thing, the three or four guys in [the back end] of our bullpen have to come in sharp. I’m not talking every day, but a good percent of the time. Lately, he’s not getting it done.”
Linebrink (2-5) has allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks in his last four outings covering 1 2/3 innings.
Home runs by Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye in the second game couldn’t mask the Sox’s 2-for-13 performance with runners in scoring position in the doubleheader.
“We had a lot of opportunities, and at the end of the day they were missed and that’s what cost us,” Paul Konerko said.
Thome hit an opposite-field shot off Eddie Bonine in the second for his 60th career homer against the Tigers.
Dye helped the Sox regain the lead in the third by ripping a two-run shot. The homer moved Dye into first place for most home runs by an opponent at Comerica Park with 16.
Colon, who hadn’t pitched for the Sox since June 7 because of left knee inflammation, had his fastball clocked in the low 90-m.p.h. range.
“I didn’t feel that strong,” Colon said. “I told [Jose] Contreras, ‘I don’t feel my fastball is on today,’ and Contreras told me I was throwing 92, 93, 91, and I was a little surprised. But that probably helped me because now I can throw more breaking pitches knowing that my fastball is in the 90s.”
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mgonzales@tribune.com
Up next
Saturday at Tigers, 3:05 p.m., WFLD-Ch. 32
