Justin Verlander pitches 6-hitter as Tigers beat White Sox 5-1

Verlander tops White Sox in opener of doubleheader

DETROIT — Justin Verlander allowed one unearned run in a six-hitter as the Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox 5-1 in the first game of Friday’s day-night doubleheader.

Verlander (11-5) struggled with his control early, walking four batters in the first five innings. But he didn’t allow a hit after the fourth until the White Sox, coming off Mark Buehrle’s perfect game Thursday, started the ninth with three singles. Verlander struck out four.

Jose Contreras (4-9) took the loss, allowing four runs on nine hits in 6 2-3 innings.

Detroit went up 4-1 in the seventh on RBI singles by Adam Everett and Placido Polanco and got their final run on Gerald Laird’s suicide squeeze in the eighth.

Chicago left the bases loaded in the second and stranded two more runners in the third.

The teams traded runs on sacrifice flies by Gordon Beckham and Polanco before Detroit took a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Miguel Cabrera led off with a double, took third on Carlos Guillen’s flyout and scored when Ryan Raburn’s pop-up down the right-field line dropped between three players for a double.

After the White Sox loaded the bases in the ninth, Verlander got Beckham to ground into a 1-2-3 double play, then retired DeWayne Wise to end the game. Verlander’s 125th pitch was clocked at 100 mph on the Comerica Park scoreboard.

NOTES: Guillen, activated before the game, received a loud ovation when he batted for the first time since May 4. To make room for Guillen, the Tigers designated OF Josh Anderson for assignment. … Buehrle agreed to donate his jersey from Thursday’s perfect game to the Hall of Fame. … Tigers president Dave Dombrowski said there is a chance RHP Jeremy Bonderman could return this season as a reliever. Bonderman has only started once in the past 14 months because of a blood clot in his pitching shoulder.