DETROIT — Yoan Moncada hit a mammoth home run in the first inning, and the White Sox broke open the game with five runs in the seventh on the way to a 7-3 victory over the Tigers on Friday night at Comerica Park.
Carlos Rodon (3-2) allowed a run and three hits in six innings for the Sox, who were without manager Rick Renteria and shortstop Tim Anderson. They were serving suspensions for their actions during Wednesday's bench-clearing altercation with the Royals.
Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire didn't make it to the end of the game either. He was ejected in the fifth inning for having words with plate umpire Todd Tichenor after Tigers starter Jordan Zimmermann (0-3) walked Moncada with the bases loaded to give the Sox a 2-1 lead.
Josh Harrison, Grayson Greiner and Niko Goodrum homered for the Tigers’ three runs, but it was Moncada's drive in the first that stood out. His homer, which may have had some help from the wind on a blustery night, carried beyond the two rows of bushes above the wall in center field. It went 458 feet, according to Statcast.
Zimmermann came into the game averaging the fewest walks per nine innings (1.91) of any active pitcher with at least 1,000 innings. He wasn't sharp enough on this night, though. He walked four, one shy of his career high, and allowed five runs in 6 1/3 innings.
In the seventh, Zimmermann was pulled after allowing a two-run single to Leury Garcia. Jose Abreu added a two-run double off reliever Daniel Stumpf to make it 6-1, and Yonder Alonso followed with an RBI single.
Greiner's homer in the bottom of the seventh was the first of his career.
Bench coaches Joe McEwing and Steve Liddle took over the managerial duties for Renteria and Gardenhire.
Ervin Santana (0-1) takes the mound for the Sox on Saturday. Daniel Norris (0-0) makes his first start of the season for the Tigers. He's in the rotation now because of a season-ending injury to Matt Moore.