CHICAGO _ The White Sox shrugged off snowflakes and a bitter wind-chill factor most of Thursday afternoon while trying to hold off the Tigers in the home opener.
But the snow ended and the roof collapsed in the ninth inning, when the bullpen and a defensive gaffe by Leury Garcia buried the Sox.
The Tigers scored three two-out runs to tie the game, then added two more in the 10th for a 9-7 win.
The conditions were unbearable, but the players didn't seem too bothered.
"You kind of get used to it. It's definitely more fun to hit during the summer," White Sox third baseman Matt Davidson said. "But if you could kind of battle it out, put yourself in good position when the weather warms up, that's kind of the goal."
Snow flurries began to fall in the third inning, though it didn't stop the game.
The Sox got off to a quick start against Tigers starter Jordan Zimmermann and led all the way.
Yolmer Sanchez's two-run triple in the first gave the Sox the lead, and Adam Engel and Garcia drove in runs in the second and third innings. The Sox knocked out Zimmermann in the two-run fifth after a pair of doubles by Avisail Garcia and Davidson, who scored four runs.
Shields (2-0) allowed three runs on eight hits over five innings, throwing 91 pitches.
Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera left the game in the second with left hip flexor tightness after stumbling around first base after a first inning single. He was replaced by Niko Goodrum, whose two-out, two-run home run off Sox closer Joakim Soria in the ninth pulled the Tigers to within a run.
After Nick Castellanos singled to put the tying run on base, Victor Martinez doubled to left. Leury Garcia let the ball get past him into the corner as the tying run scored.
Before the game, former White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, now a team ambassador, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to broadcaster Hawk Harrelson, who is entering his final season in the booth.
Pierzynski and Harrelson held a press conference before the game, where Harrelson confirmed they would partner up for a Sox broadcast later this year.
"Probably August," Pierzynski said. "My schedule and his schedule are hard (to match up). He's way busier than I am, so it's hard for me to match his busy schedule."
Harrelson laughed and said: "He's so full of it. I'm telling you."
The game-time temperature was 43 degrees, well above the coldest White Sox home opener in history _ 37 degrees against the Angels at old Comiskey Park on April 5, 1974.
The warmest home opener was 84 degrees April 12, 1977, against the Red Sox.
"Guys don't think about it too much," Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "They feel it, but once they get out there between the lines they concentrate and do the best they possibly can under the circumstances."
