DETROIT — Chase Meidroth led off Saturday’s game against the Detroit Tigers by drawing a walk against ace Tarik Skubal.
Meidroth was quickly erased when Edgar Quero grounded into a double play.
The Chicago White Sox wouldn’t have another baserunner until the fifth, when third baseman Bryan Ramos blooped a double to left field to end Skubal’s no-hit bid.
The Sox were limited to three hits — the double by Ramos and two Meidroth singles — as their season-high six-game winning streak came to an end with a 6-0 loss to the Tigers in front of 32,115 at Comerica Park.
Skubal allowed two hits, struck out six and walked one in seven innings.
“A tough assignment tonight, obviously,” Sox manager Will Venable said. “Arguably the best pitcher on the planet and we knew we had our work cut out for us tonight. Want to be aggressive early in the count.
“He wasn’t in the zone as much early as you typically see him. Obviously a good fastball, I thought the changeup was really good. Yeah, he just really dominated us.”
Skubal received offensive support early when Jahmai Jones led off the bottom of the first with a home run to left against Martín Pérez.
The Tigers broke the game open with five runs in the fourth inning. Gleyber Torres had the big hit, connecting for a three-run home run to left.
“Martín, I thought there was some hard contact there early,” Venable said. “Obviously the leadoff homer, but some hard contact. I think that pushed him to the edges a little bit and he just didn’t have the command to be efficient in the zone and on the edges and we saw a lot of balls.
“We’re just not used to that with Martín. He’s in the zone all the time, pitching to the corners. The north and south game. He just wasn’t able to get to it tonight.”
Pérez allowed six runs on five hits in four innings. He walked three and did not record a strikeout.
“I was not hitting my spot,” Pérez said. “Trying to live with my changeup down and away too many times. I think it was two pitches, both homers, but they made a lot of hard contact. I think I’ve got to be better with my location next time.
“I know I’ve been doing good, but it happens. Sometimes you’re not going to feel 100% or you’re not going to hit your spot and that happened to me. But that’s OK. I’m just going to turn the page and be ready for the next one.”
The Tigers had just one hit over the final four innings.
“(Reliever) Wikelman (González), that might be the best outing we’ve seen from Wikelman (five strikeouts in two innings),” Venable said. “And we’ve seen some good ones from him. Steven Wilson was great, Dan (Altavilla) was great. A really nice job by all those guys.”
Venable also noted the defensive contributions from outfielders Brooks Baldwin, Michael A. Taylor and Dominic Fletcher.
“But just wasn’t enough tonight,” Venable said.
The Sox were cooled off at the plate by the 2024 American League Cy Young Award winner, who is in contention for the honor again this season.
Skubal struck out two of the three batters he faced in the fourth and struck out Colson Montgomery to begin the fifth. Curtis Mead grounded out back to the pitcher, bringing Ramos to the plate with two outs.
Ramos grounded out to shortstop Zach McKinstry in the second inning. He kept that in mind in the fifth.
“I was thinking about being aggressive,” Ramos said. “My first at-bat, he threw me a fastball in the zone (on 0-2, which was fouled off) and I said if he throws it again, I’m going to wait for it.”
He got a changeup instead on the first pitch and looped it to left for the team’s first hit.
Meidroth singled against Skubal in the sixth. Meidroth’s other hit came against reliever Rafael Montero in the ninth.
The Sox were blanked for the ninth time this season, and the first time since a 1-0 loss on Aug. 20 in Atlanta.
“You’ve got to flush it and go to win tomorrow,” Ramos said.
