cheap air jordans-Tigers hand White Sox 5th straight loss

DETROIT — The White Sox returned home Sunday night with more than just the unfamiliar feeling of falling to second place during their five-game losing streak punctuated by a 6-4 loss to the Tigers that completed their first series in which they were swept.

"I didn't even know if I had my car at the airport," said Adam Dunn, taking note that the Sox will finally return home for their first series of the second half starting Monday night against Minnesota. "I don't know how I'm getting home. It'll be nice to sleep in your own bed and get to some familiar territory."

The Sox will try to shore up the areas they've recently been lacking in that has caused them to slip from a 3½-game lead to a 1½-game deficit in the American League Central.

Philip Humber, who was knocked out after allowing four home runs — two to Miguel Cabrera — will remain in the rotation after lasting only three innings. Humber's struggles loomed larger after relievers Hector Santiago (31/3 innings), Nate Jones and Donnie Veal didn't allow a hit after the third inning.

The offense chipped away at a five-run deficit but missed a chance to cut the gap even more when Gordon Beckham flied to right with runners at first and second to end the sixth. Beckham is in a 3-for-25 slump.

"You have to be able to pitch, play defense and score and do all those things to win a lot of games in a row," manager Robin Ventura said after the Sox equaled their longest losing streak of the season. "We're going to have to shorten the gap on those."

Dunn, who is 1-for-18, spoke on behalf of an offense that scored 22 runs in its final nine games of a 3-7 trip.

"No one is doing anything offensively," he said. "It puts a lot of pressure on our pitchers because they know. They obviously see our offense is struggling."

Simply, the Sox have temporarily lost the formula that saw them win nine of 11 games near the end of the first half.

"(The Tigers) are playing like we were playing before the break," Dunn said. "They're playing really, really well, and we're not. We knew (Sunday) we needed to go out and relax and win. That's obviously the goal.

"But if you lose, it's not life or death. If we're playing like this in late August or September, then you've got to be a little worried."

The Sox, who are 4-7 against Detroit this season, have seven games left against the Tigers.

Of immediate importance, however, is the Sox's need to take advantage of being home for only three games while in the midst of a 19-game stretch that concludes with road series at Texas and Minnesota.

"I don't know if everyone knows where they live," Ventura quipped as the Sox will play before a large crowd at U.S. Cellular Field for the first time since July 10. "We'll figure it out."