Scherzer blanks Sox for 8 innings. Tigers win 5-1, back to within one game of first place

  

DETROIT—Max Scherzer allowed four hits in eight scoreless innings, and the Detroit Tigers pulled within a game of first place with a 5-1 victory over the White Sox on Saturday night.Detroit has taken the first two games of this series from the AL Central-leading White Sox and will send Justin Verlander to the mound Sunday to try for a sweep against Chris Sale. Scherzer (15-6) won his fifth straight start, striking out nine with one walk.Delmon Young homered and tripled for the Tigers.Francisco Liriano (5-11) allowed three runs, four hits and seven walks in four-plus innings. The Sox were swept in a three-game set in Detroit in July, momentarily ceding first place to the Tigers. Now the White Sox are in danger of being caught atop the division. Paul Konerko,who fanned three times against Scherzer,scored the only Sox run in the 9th when Orlando Hudson knocked him in against Jose Valverde.