Jul 21, 2012 3 min read

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DETROIT – Rick Porcello pitched brilliantly into the ninth inning, and the Detroit Tigers took over first place in the AL Central Saturday with a 7-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox.Brennan Boesch hit a three-run homer and Austin Jackson drove in the other four runs for the Tigers, who lead the White Sox by a half-game in the Central. Detroit was six games out after a loss to the Chicago Cubs on June 12.Porcello (7-5) fell just short of his first complete game, departing after he allowed two hard-hit singles to start the ninth. He allowed a run and five hits.Porcello struck out four with no walks, outdueling Chris Sale (11-3) in the Chicago left-hander’s first loss since May 12.Detroit was expected by many to win the division easily after finishing 15 games in front last year and adding Prince Fielder in the offseason. But the Tigers struggled through the first half of the season and Chicago emerged.Now the White Sox have lost four straight and six of eight.Texas 9, L.A. Angels 2: Mike Napoli homered twice against his former team, Yu Darvish struck out 11 over seven strong innings, and the Texas Rangers battered struggling Angels starter Ervin Santana for a 9-2 victory over Los Angeles.Napoli, Yorvit Torrealba and Adrian Beltre homered during Texas’ five-run second inning, chasing Santana (4-10) after just 13 batters. Torrealba had three hits in his return from paternity leave, while Ian Kinsler homered and drove in three runs for the Rangers, who have won six of nine.White Sox acquire Myers: The Chicago White Sox acquired Houston reliever Brett Myers for two minor league pitchers and a player to be named.Myers had 19 saves and a 3.52 ERA for the Astros this season and will try to bolster an inexperienced Chicago bullpen. Addison Reed, Chicago’s 23-year-old closer, has 15 saves but a 4.24 ERA. Rookie Nate Jones has a 3.57 ERA in 35 appearances.National League Atlanta 4, Washington 0: Talk about adding injury to insult. After blowing a nine-run lead to drop the series opener to the Braves, the Washington Nationals lost Bryce Harper to a bruised left ankle during a 4-0 defeat to Atlanta.The 19-year old outfielder won’t start the second game of the day-night doubleheader as the Nationals attempt to recover from a brutal 24 hours.L.A. Dodgers 8, N.Y. Mets 5: Juan Uribe broke out of a long slump with a homer and four RBIs, Chris Capuano pitched seven solid innings against his former team and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the staggering New York Mets 8-5.Uribe hit an early two-run double to end a 1-for-38 slide. He added a two-run homer in the ninth inning off 13-game winner R.A. Dickey, who was making his first relief appearance of the season to help an overtaxed Mets bullpen.San Francisco 6, Philadelphia 5: All-Star pitchers Cole Hamels and Matt Cain hit homers in the same inning, and Gregor Blanco drove in the tiebreaking run with a drag bunt single in the 10th to lead the San Francisco Giants to a 6-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.All-Star game MVP Melky Cabrera hit a tying homer off Hamels in the eighth and Buster Posey hit a two-run shot for the NL West-leading Giants, who are 7-1 since the All-Star break.