Tigers walk off in 9th to cap sweep of Sox

DETROIT — The Chris Sale-Justin Verlander pitching duel came down to Tigers rookie JaCoby Jones, who doubled twice and scored the winning run in the ninth on a Tyler Collins sacrifice fly to complete a sweep of the White Sox with a 3-2 victory on Wednesday afternoon at Comerica Park.

Jones, who went 2-for-4 in his Major League debut Tuesday night, put Detroit on the scoreboard when Andrew Romine singled him home in the fifth inning. That was the Tigers’ lone run off Chris Sale until J.D. Martinez’s two-out RBI single in the eighth tied it.

Jones greeted White Sox closer David Robertson in the ninth with a drive into the gap in right-center field. Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s fly ball to the warning track in right moved Jones to third with one out. Collins, pinch-hitting for Romine, lofted a fly ball into shallow left-center, deep enough for the speedy Jones to take off for home. Left fielder Avisail Garcia’s throw didn’t get to the plate.

It marked the second hard-luck decision at Comerica Park in four weeks for Sale, who gave up two runs over eight innings at Comerica Park on Aug. 3 but lost on a Martinez home run. Sale all but silenced a Tigers offense that put up 12 runs over the first two games of the series. The southpaw allowed nine baserunners over the first five innings, but survived with help from three double-play grounders.

By contrast, Verlander looked nearly unhittable early, striking out six of his first eight batters and retiring 11 of the first 12. He was an out away from a clean fourth inning when Jose Abreu …

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