Quero, Montgomery and Benintendi hit HRs, White Sox beat Tigers 7-1 without Murakami

CHICAGO (AP) — Edgar Quero, Colson Montgomery and Andrew Benintendi each homered, and the Chicago White Sox topped the Detroit Tigers 7-1 on Saturday without injured slugger Munetaka Murakami.

Montgomery and Benintendi doubled, and Quero added a hit and sac fly as the White Sox won their fourth straight and climbed to four games above .500 for the first time since Sept. 20, 2022.

Wenceel Pérez hit a solo shot for the Tigers, who lost for the 20th time in their last 24 games dating to May 4.

White Sox stater Anthony Kay yielded one run on six hits through five innings to earn the win. Relievers Grant Taylor, Seranthony Dominguez and Trevor Richards allowed one base runner over the final four innings.

Kay (5-1) went 4-0 in six starts in May, posting a 1.67 ERA in 32 1/3 innings. In this one, the left-hander went deep into counts, throwing 54 of 84 pitches for strikes, before Taylor relieved with two runners on in the sixth. Taylor retired the next three hitters to escape the jam, then struck out the side in the seventh.

Detroit’s Framber Valdez (2-4) allowed four runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Murakami went on the injured list on Saturday with a Grade 2 hamstring strain and is expected to miss four to six weeks.

The White Sox took a 2-0 lead in the first after loading the bases with no outs. Chase Meidroth scored on Valdez’s wild pitch and Miguel Vargas on Quero’s sac fly.

The White Sox scored twice in the seventh, then put it away in the eighth as Montgomery hit a solo shot and Benintendi lined a two-run drive.

Up next

Detroit RHP Keider Montero (2-3, 4.09 ERA) is scheduled to face Chicago RHP Sean Burke (2-3, 3.90) on Sunday.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb