CHICAGO _ Jonathan Stiever navigated through a bumpy beginning to allow only one run in the first inning Sunday against the Detroit Tigers.
Stiever settled into a groove and retired the final nine batters he faced in his big-league debut, and the Chicago White Sox went on to win 5-2 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Stiever allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 3? innings. He left with the score tied at 1.
Eloy Jimenez broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer to center as the Sox completed a three-game sweep.
The Sox (30-16) remained in first place in the American League Central. They begin a four-game series with the second-place Minnesota Twins on Monday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Stiever became the latest rookie to play a role in the stretch run. The Sox purchased his contract from the Schaumburg training facility Sunday and announced two more roster moves, optioning pitcher Alex McRae to Schaumburg and transferring pitcher Carlos Rodon (left shoulder soreness) to the 45-day injured list.
The Sox selected Stiever in the fifth round of the 2018 draft out of Indiana. He is the No. 6 prospect in the organization according to MLB.com.
Stiever walked Victor Reyes to start the game. Reyes was thrown out attempting to take second on a wild pitch during Willi Castro's at-bat. Castro walked and scored on a two-out single by Jorge Bonifacio.
The Sox had reliever Jimmy Cordero warming up, but Stiever struck out Daz Cameron to end the first and begin his stretch of nine consecutive outs.
The Sox tied the game on an RBI double by Yoan Moncada in the second. Moncada went 3-for-4. Jimenez put the Sox ahead in the fourth with his 13th homer.
The Sox added three runs in the fifth. Tim Anderson made it 3-1 with an RBI single. Anderson went 2-for-4 and leads the AL with a .362 average.
Jose Abreu knocked in Anderson with a single to right. Abreu leads the AL with 48 RBIs. Jimenez collected his second RBI of the game on a groundout to short.
Cordero pitched 1? scoreless relief innings for the win, while Alex Colome collected his 11th save.
The Sox have won eight of nine and completed the season series with a 9-1 record against the Tigers.
