Home-run drought ends as White Sox rally past Tigers with 4-run 8th

The White Sox chose a great time to regain their power.

After Conor Gillaspie’s second-inning home run was the White Sox’s first since April 22, Melky Cabrera’s three-run homer off Joba Chamberlainwith two outs in the bottom of the eighth tied the game at 6. Later in the inning, Avisail Garcia’s single gave the Sox the lead in their 7-6 winWednesday over the Detroit Tigers.

David Robertsonconverted the save to give the Sox a win on a night when their home run stroke returned.

“We keep talking about the offense eventually putting it together,” Robin Ventura said. “It’s been sputtering for a little while and not really a whole lot of home runs and things like that but they continue to grind and realize it’s going to be there.”

Usually, Chris Sale puts it together but he didn’t Wednesday.

Sale struggled for the second straight outing, allowing five runs, five walks, seven hits and Victor Martinez’s homer in 5 1/3 innings. The five walks tied a career high.

“It’s just a process,” Sale said. “You’re going to have good ones, you’re going to have bad ones. You’re going to have a few good ones in a row, you’re going to have a few bad ones in a row.”

The Sox defense had one of its better games and it made one of its better plays in the ninth inning to help preserve the win.

With one out, the Tigers’ James McCann singled to right, advancing Andrew Romine to third. But McCann strayed off first and Garcia’s relay hit cut-off man Alexei Ramirez, who threw behind him to first where McCann was tagged for the second out.

Robertson then got Jose Iglesias to ground out and end the game.

HEY, NATE

Reliever Nate Jones might be inching closer to returning to the White Sox bullpen.

Jones said he’s scheduled to throw a side session Friday in Chicago. The fact he’s doing even that is a positive step for Jones, who dealt with back problems last season before undergoing Tommy John surgery on July 29.

“I was telling somebody earlier it’s like I’m finally seeing a little bit of the light,” Jones said. “I’m trying not to get too far ahead of myself, but I’ve been throwing off the mound without pain and that’s a huge accomplishment from last year.”

Before suffering his injuries, Jones was establishing himself as a pivotal member of the Sox bullpen. He made 135 appearances over his first two seasons but only two last year, leaving a hole in the Sox relief corps.

Clearly, Jones is eager to return. For him, the hardest part of the rehab is the mental part and “not being with the team most of the time and having to watch the games on TV and whatnot and not being able to be a part of the camaraderie that we have here.”

PEN MOVES

Reliever Javy Guerra was designated for assignment after the Sox returned him from his rehab stint at Triple-A Charlotte and reinstated him from the 15-day disabled list. Guerra had been on the disabled list since April 20 (retroactive to April 13) with right shoulder inflammation.

On Tuesday, general manager Rick Hahn said reliever Matt Albers underwent surgery last week to insert pins in his right pinkie finger that was broken during the April 23 brawl with Kansas City. Albers will be out 6-8 weeks.