Tyler Danish knows he can’t always pitch the way he did Saturday and come away with a win. In his first major-league start, though, he’ll gladly take some good fortune.
Danish walked six batters in five innings but allowed no runs and only three hits in a 3-0 victory against the Tigers in the first game of a straight doubleheader at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Sox lost the nightcap 4-3.
Danish was wild but made good pitches when he needed to. He struck out six and pitched himself out of more than one jam.
“You dream as a kid to pitch in the big leagues,” Danish said. “To get my first win in my first career start was special.
‘‘I’m glad my mom was here. I’m glad she got to enjoy that. It was a very special day, something I’ll always remember.”
Danish gave up a single to Andrew Romine and walked Alex Avila to open the game. He got a badly needed double play to ease the pressure but then walked Victor Martinez and Justin Upton to load the bases. Nicholas Castellanos grounded out to end the threat.
Danish struck out the side in the second after allowing a double and a walk.
“He worked through a little bit of traffic and got out of it,” manager Rick Renteria said.
“He put up five innings of zeros and kept himself in the ballgame, did a nice job.”
The Sox’ bullpen did a nice job, too, with four scoreless innings, one hit allowed and nine strikeouts to seal the victory.
Saladino lands on DL
Infielder Tyler Saladino went on the 10-day disabled list with back spasms and sciatic nerve pain.
Saladino left the game Friday after stepping on first while trying to leg out a single in the third inning.
“When I hit the base, it fired up pretty good,” Saladino said. “Brand-new nerve thing, never had anything like it before.”
In a corresponding move, the Sox recalled Adam Engel from Class AAA Charlotte.
Engel made his big-league debut as a pinch runner in the eighth inning of Game 1. He made his first start in the nightcap, batting ninth and playing center field. Engel singled to go 1-for-4.
“It’s a little surreal,” Engel said. “I got the call last night at like 1:30, 2 o’clock.
‘‘I was a little out of it, but I called my wife right away, called my parents. It’s been a really awesome experience.”
Follow me on Twitter @davidjustCST.
RELATED STORIES
Sox prospect Luis Robert makes his ‘debut’ at Guaranteed Rate Field
Everything you need to know about Luis Robert
