CHICAGO — Detroit Tigers right-hander Ty Madden limited the Chicago White Sox to two runs over five innings in his MLB debut.
His teammates supported him in the seventh inning: Parker Meadows ripped a line-drive home run to tie the game, Jace Jung delivered the go-ahead single, and Spencer Telsonork padded the lead with a mammoth three-run home run on his 25th birthday
Most importantly, the Tigers reached a .500 record for the first time since June 5.
The Tigers swept the White Sox with a 6-3 win in Monday’s finale of a four-game series at Guaranteed Rate Field. A five-run seventh inning made the difference, with several young players contributing.
Once again, the Tigers (66-66) took advantage of the putrid White Sox, shaping up to be the worst team in modern baseball history. The White Sox (31-101) are on pace for 124 losses.
The Tigers will try to surpass .500 for the first time since June 4 on Tuesday vs. the Los Angeles Angels (54-77) at Comerica Park.
The Tigers are seven games behind Minnesota for the final American League wild-card spot.
The path to a .500 record — and maybe the playoffs?
In Monday’s game, Madden took the mound for the first time in his MLB career. He was impressive, in the first of what should be at least three or four starts, especially considering he had a 7.97 ERA in 18 starts with Triple-A Toledo before the promotion.
