Tigers win, pull within 1 of ChiSox

DETROIT (AP) - Max Scherzer allowed four hits in eight scoreless innings, and the Detroit Tigers pulled within a game of first place with a 5-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.

Detroit has taken the first two games of this series from the AL Central-leading White Sox and will send Justin Verlander to the mound Sunday to try for a sweep. Scherzer (15-6) won his fifth straight start, striking out nine with one walk.

Delmon Young homered and tripled for the Tigers.

Francisco Liriano (5-11) allowed three runs, four hits and seven walks in four-plus innings. Chicago was swept in a three-game set in Detroit in July, momentarily ceding first place to the Tigers. Now the White Sox are in danger of being caught atop the division.

Scherzer increased his strikeout total to 204, becoming the first pitcher to reach 200 this year. He and Liriano are two of the three pitchers who have struck out at least 15 in a game this season. The other is Chris Sale, Chicago's starter Sunday.

Scherzer has struck out at least eight in nine straight starts.

Detroit opened the scoring with two runs in the third. Brennan Boesch, who has struggled this year but entered the game 5 for 11 lifetime against Liriano, hit an RBI triple and came home on Miguel Cabrera's single.

Young led off the Detroit fifth with a drive that hit the top of the wall in left-center and came back in play for a triple. He eventually scored on a two-out single by Avisail Garcia, the first big league hit for the right fielder.

Young's next hit — in the seventh — had enough distance to clear the fence for his 16th homer of the year. Cabrera added another RBI single in the eighth.

The Tigers have won 24 of their last 30 home games.

The White Sox were without slugger Adam Dunn, who was sitting out with a strained oblique.

Scherzer struck out Kevin Youkilis in the eighth for his final out, then took off his hat to acknowledge the crowd before getting a handshake from manager Jim Leyland.

Orlando Hudson hit an RBI triple off Detroit's Jose Valverde in the ninth.

NOTES: Chicago used eight pitchers. ... Scherzer lowered his ERA to 3.93. ... The White Sox entered September with a division lead for the fifth time since 1993. They ended up finishing first the other four times — in 1993, 2000, 2005 and 2008. ... Chicago RHP Deunte Heath made his major league debut in the eighth, getting Prince Fielder to hit into a double play. ... White Sox manager Robin Ventura said LHP Hector Santiago will start Monday night against Minnesota.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.