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CHICAGO -- At least one Chicago White Sox decision for 2014 already has been made.

Manager Robin Ventura said the Opening Day starter next year will be Chris Sale. Outside of that, Ventura acknowledged that any and all changes could be made from a club that nearly lost 100 games for the first time in 43 years.

“There's a fair chance of anything,” Ventura said.

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CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox closed out the season with one more defeat, falling 4-1 to the Kansas City Royals to finish the season with a 63-99 record.

How it happened: In what could be his final game with the White Sox, Paul Konerko started at first base and had one at-bat before he was removed. He received standing ovations when he came to the plate in the first inning and again when he left his position in the second inning. He fouled out in his only at-bat. Alexei Ramirez hit a home run for the White Sox, but the Royals were paced by two-run home runs from Salvador Perez and Brett Hayes. White Sox starter Jose Quintana gave up four runs in seven innings during his last outing of the season. The season ended when Marcus Semien struck out with the bases loaded.

What it means: The White Sox finished with 99 losses, tied for fourth most in franchise history with the 1934 team. The only White Sox teams that lost more games in a season were 1948 (101 losses), 1932 (102) and 1970 (106). The .389 winning percentage is the seventh worst in franchise history.

Outside the box: White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia headed into the offseason just how the team hopes he will start things in 2014. Garcia, who was acquired from the Tigers in the July three-team trade that sent Jake Peavy to the Red Sox, went 1-for-4 in the finale, but in the previous 10 games he batted .317 (13-for-41) with a triple, three home runs and eight RBIs.

Off beat: Semien apparently likes returning favors quickly as the rookie gave back what he received in the third inning. After reaching base when Perez had trouble tracking down his wind-blown popup, Semien was then doubled up when he rounded second base on an Alejandro De Aza fly ball and failed to re-touch second when returning to first base.

Up next: The White Sox are five months away from spring training with a lot of changes left to be made. Two of the most obvious changes are to hire a new hitting coach and to talk to free agent Konerko about a possible return. Konerko said he will take a month before deciding if he wants to play again, at which point he would evaluate any offers.

CHICAGO –- There was no sugar-coating things Friday as Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn addressed the disappointing 2013 season in advance of Sunday’s final game.

The White Sox headed into play Friday still needing one more victory to avoid their first 100-loss season since 1970, and Hahn took the blame for the mess the season has become.

“At the end of the day, I feel personally responsible,” Hahn said. “There's no two ways about it. I'm not in uniform. I'm not hitting the ball or throwing the ball, but I'm the one heavily involved in deciding who's out there and in what role. And this is my responsibility to maximize the number of victories this club can have, albeit over an extended period of time and not just in one season. But the way I see it, it's been a very disappointing season in which we've underachieved.”

It’s hardly that simple, of course. Changes will be made from a roster that underachieved in a number of areas, making this season’s woes more of a player production. But in his first season, Hahn’s roster, which had little to no margin for error, actually failed in more ways than anybody could have imagined.

The White Sox failed to score runs, they struggled in the on-base-percentage department, they were one of the worst teams in baseball defensively and they had issues running the bases. The White Sox were 10-15 after the opening month, and things would only get worse.

Asked if there is a problem area the White Sox will look to address above all others, Hahn avoided getting specific.

“Obviously, the run scoring going from fourth in the league to the bottom, and the on-base percentage plummeting, and the extra-base hitting also going to the bottom, is a real issue and a big one and one that we intend to address here in the coming weeks and months,” Hahn said.

“The defense, we obviously slipped considerably defensively. I did see the other day we've committed the most errors since 2000. ... But the offensive performance, the defensive consistency, as well as our ability to run the bases smarter are all real issues of concern, and the caliber of play that we've gotten in each of those areas this year is unacceptable and it's a priority for all of us to improve upon.”

Hahn did say that he expects manager Robin Ventura to return next season, and Ventura said himself that he is up for the challenge of trying to improve the team in the final year of his three-year contract. Beyond that, there seem to be no guarantees, although building the roster around staff ace Chris Sale seems obvious.

“"We have to get better, and we have to get better quickly,” Hahn said. “I feel like we're in a very good position from a pitching standpoint. Given the starting pitching that we already have under control, whatever turnaround or restoration or whatever you want to call it that needs to take place here, we hope to minimize the amount of time that takes.”

If there is one benefit to the disappointing season, it is that the front office has already gotten started on revamping the roster. Avisail Garcia was added in late June to help on the offensive side. Possible upgrades at catcher and/or third base could be coming as well.

When balancing fixed costs with revenue, Hahn said it is “conceivable” the White Sox could target an impact free agent with all of the salary savings the team afforded itself with trades in July and August. If Paul Konerko doesn’t return, or is re-signed for significantly less, there is even more money to work with.

“Is it possible that there will be enough ... to be a player in free agency? Absolutely,” Hahn said. “But we're going to shy away from any short-term fix. It's going to be getting this thing right so that on an annual basis, we're in a position to contend for the postseason. If a free agent this year fits -- a big name, high-priced free agent -- it's going to be with a vision for the next several years thereafter as well.”

This year, though, it was a lost baseball summer in Chicago, with extreme struggles on both sides of town.

“It's really unfortunate,” Hahn said. “I can't speak to anything going on on the other side of town. I simply focus on our own performance. Look, part of the reason I wanted this job was because summertime in Chicago and baseball in summertime in Chicago is important.

“Perhaps I have too lofty of a view of its importance in this town, but I look back at this past summer and see it a bit as a wasted summer, because there was an opportunity, in our opinion, to perform better than we have and we failed to meet that.”

The results of a meaningless September are rarely overanalyzed, but White Sox brass are paying close attention to their young core of players. Solo home runs by Marcus Semien and Avisail Garcia on Monday might be a snapshot of the future core of the team beyond 2013.

Semien, who was the MVP of the Southern League, hit his first major league home run, giving starter Jose Quintana a two-run cushion to work with against the Blue Jays.

“It was really a great feeling," he said after hitting the second-inning home run off J.A. Happ. “Whenever you have a big league first it is kind of a great feeling.”

The young infielder has made a strong impression on manager Robin Ventura during his brief late-season call-up.

“I have somewhat of a feel what type of player he is," Ventura said before the Sox's 3-2 victory. “Again, you are going to have a month in spring training to see him again, and see how he progresses. He is going to the fall league. We will follow him there and be able to see how he [improves].

“Marcus is showing us what he can do up here and making some good plays on defense as well. He is making a good case for himself that he can play at this level.”

Garcia, acquired in the trade that sent Jake Peavy to Boston in a three-way deal with Detroit, has shown some ability in his two months with Chicago. “That is a part of having these guys up here and moving forward," Ventura said.

Garcia is hitting .369 in his last 13 games with 13 RBI and 10 runs scored. Semien is also on a tear, hitting at a .342 clip in his last 11 contests.

Playing a full Arizona Fall League season, which begins Oct. 8, might be a letdown for some young players who have been playing full-time in the major leagues like Semien. But not for Semien.

“Not at all," Semien said. “It will be a great experience. Fall league is traditionally a great league; the best minor league players in baseball are there. I am happy to be there too.”

CHICAGO -- The White Sox used a pair of home runs and strong starting pitching to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Monday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

How it happened: The White Sox and Jays were making up a game rained out on June 12. Jose Quintana was seeking his ninth win of the season. LHP J.A. Happ was on the hill for Toronto. Rookie Marcus Semien hit his first major league home run with Dayan Viciedo on base in the second inning. J.P. Arencibia hit a solo home run to lead off the fifth inning. Avisail Garcia led off the White Sox fifth with his sixth home run. Quintana exited in the eighth after giving up an RBI base hit to Ryan Goins.

What it means: The Sox win the season series against Toronto 4-3. Chicago had lost nine of its past 12. Chicago continues its six-game road trip with three in Cleveland against the Indians to close out its 2013 road schedule.

Outside the box: Manager Robin Ventura said he is not interested in talking about managing beyond 2014 at this juncture. Ventura signed a three-year deal in the fall of 2011. "I said I want to do it again," Ventura reiterated on Monday in reference to next season. "After that, you would like to [continue], but we will discuss that after next year. It has to be [agreeable] on both sides. That is a discussion for another day."

Ventura turned down an extension that was offered in spring training. At that time, he said there was no hurry in signing beyond the two years remaining on his deal. … Viciedo returned from paternity leave after missing the weekend series in Detroit.

Up next: The Sox resume their road trip against the Indians. LHP Hector Santiago (4-9, 3.53 ERA) faces RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (12-9, 3.59).

CHICAGO -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago White Sox's 7-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Sunday:

How it happened: After a 4 hour, 23 minute rain delay, left-handed pitcher Chris Sale went to the mound in hopes of salvaging the last game of this four-game series. The Indians had Zach McAllister on the hill. Cleveland had won 11 straight against Chicago, one short of the Sox's all-time consecutive losing streak to one team (12 versus Boston in 1921). Matt Carson got the Indians on the board with an RBI single in the second inning, driving home Carlos Santana, who had singled to lead off the inning. Carson homered in the fifth inning, his first of the season. Nick Swisher led off the sixth with his 19th home run of the year. Asdrubal Cabrera continued the onslaught on Sale, hitting a three-run homer in the same inning. Sale left after 5 2/3 innings, as Cleveland sent 10 men to the plate. White Sox catcher Josh Phegley broke up the shutout with an RBI single in the seventh. Swisher contributed his second home run of the game in the ninth. He hit one from each side of the plate -- his 13th time doing so, tying the major league record with the New York Yankees' Mark Teixeira.

What it means: The Indians moved within a half game of the wild-card lead, behind Tampa and Texas. Sale took his 13th loss off the season, despite topping the 200 innings pitched mark for the first time in his career. Cleveland has dominated the season series between the two clubs, winning 15 of 17 this year.

Outside of the box: The White Sox offered every person who bought a ticket to Sunday's game a free ticket to selected dates in April 2014. Chicago has continued to be plagued by bad defense. The White Sox lead the majors with 112 errors. They have committed 10 miscues in their past seven games. … The South Siders will finish the season with a losing record against the American League Central. This will mark the fourth time in five seasons that they register a losing record in their division. … The Sox started the day 32 games under.500, their worst winning percentage since ending the 1976 campaign at 64-97. … Outfielder Avisail Garcia left the team on Sunday morning after his wife went into labor. Garcia was in the original lineup before the long rain delay.

Up next: The White Sox welcome the Minnesota Twins for a three-game series. RHP Erik Johnson (0-2, 4.56) faces Minnesota LHP Liam Hendricks (1-2, 5.25) in a battle of rookie pitchers.

CHICAGO -- While pitching coach Don Cooper was back on the Chicago White Sox’s bench Monday after a stomach issue, outfielder Avisail Garcia was out of action because of a dental issue.

“It sounds like two teeth,” manager Robin Ventura said. “I think he had a double extraction, so he’s not going to be playing today. He couldn’t talk very well at the moment. We’re going to let him relax and not do anything, so hopefully tomorrow he’ll be able to play. I think he had two root canals, which is something everybody would enjoy, I’m sure. “

Jordan Danks got the start in right field for Garcia, who is batting .320 (52-for-183) with a .440 slugging percentage and a .358 slugging percentage since he was first called up to the White Sox last month.

For Cooper, it’s his second bout of abdominal pain for this season. He missed the White Sox’s opening 10-game road trip of the season with the same issue.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox won their fifth consecutive series with a 6-1 victory Wednesday over the Houston Astros.

How it happened: Chris Sale struck out 12 and pitched into the ninth inning to earn his 10th victory of the season. Avisail Garcia hit his first home run as a member of the White Sox and drove in three. Leury Garcia, in the leadoff spot, walked twice, scored two runs and delivered a sacrifice fly for a run in the eighth. Jeff Keppinger, in his second turn as the No. 3 hitter, had two hits and drove in a run. The White Sox have now won 10 of their past 12 games, going 4-2 on the homestand after a 6-1 road trip.

What it means: If there is one thing Sale knows how to do, it's how to rebound from a disappointing outing. His 12 strikeouts Wednesday came after he gave up eight runs to the Rangers in his previous start. He also gave up eight runs on April 13 at Cleveland and returned to hold the Blue Jays to two earned runs one outing later. After giving up a season-high 10 hits on Aug. 1 to the Indians, he came back to hold the Yankees scoreless over 7 1/3 innings.

Outside the box: Sale hit two milestones by piling up strikeouts against the Astros. He now has 193 strikeouts on the season, a career best, passing last season's mark of 192. He also became the first White Sox pitcher to record four games with 12-plus strikeouts in a single season. He had been tied with Javier Vazquez (2006) and Ed Walsh (1910) with three each.

Off beat: It was the attack of the Garcias in the seventh inning as Leury walked and scored the go-ahead run, while Avisail hit a three-run home run for some cushion. After Leury Garcia's walk, the speedster stole second and went to third on an overthrow. He made it home on a fly ball to shallow center. Avisail Garcia's home run later in the inning was his first with the White Sox.

Up next: After an off day Thursday, the White Sox will open a three-game series at Boston on Friday with Hector Santiago (4-7, 3.25 ERA) facing the Red Sox's Ryan Dempster (6-9, 4.77).

CHICAGO -– Alexei Ramirez, in the midst of a rocky season that is well below his own expectations, was out of the Chicago White Sox starting lineup for the first time Wednesday.

Leury Garcia, who was acquired Aug. 11 to complete the Alex Rios trade to the Texas Rangers, got the start at shortstop instead while batting leadoff.

Ramirez had started in all 131 White Sox games this season, and while his batting average is a respectable .287, his .377 slugging percentage is well below the .409 mark he had posted over his previous five seasons.

He has just four home runs and 41 RBIs this season, putting him on pace for career lows in each category. Before the season started, Ramirez put an emphasis on run production and his power game.

Manager Robin Ventura said his lineup change was not met with extreme resistance.

“It wasn’t anything to fight about,” Ventura said. “It was more about giving him a day [off].”

The White Sox have not had a true backup at shortstop all season, which has led to Ramirez’s extended playing time.

“I would say if we did, he would have gotten [a day off],” Ventura said. “There are times where you could see he could use a day, where he was fatigued. The way he’s playing you give him a day, and with the day off [Thursday] it turns into two. So he can recharge.”

Ramirez played in 158 games in each of the past two seasons.

Garcia was making just his second start since joining the White Sox. He started at second base Tuesday night, batting ninth.

He has well-above-average speed, but his .310 on-base percentage over six minor league seasons and .237 OPB in 29 major league games does not scream leadoff potential.

“He can because of the speed you can go that route,” Ventura said. “But he’s young. Both Garcias (Leury and Avisail) are young. I don’t think he’s maxed out as far as what he’s going to be. Hopefully this experience makes him better and you go from there. Speed is something you can’t teach.”

CHICAGO -- A game between two of the worst teams in baseball played out as expected Monday, with the Chicago White Sox regressing from their recent string of solid play to throw in a clunker against the Houston Astros.

From a distance, the White Sox’s 10-8 defeat to the Astros appeared to be a slugfest; up close, there were blemishes aplenty.

The White Sox resembled the team that stumbled out of the gate by getting bad baserunning, shaky relief help and questionable fielding.

“I’m not going to judge anybody by tonight,” manager Robin Ventura said.

White Sox starter Andre Rienzo had pitched well over his first month in the major leagues, but he was no match for the free-swinging Astros, who entered with a major league-worst 43-86 record. The lone right-hander in the current White Sox rotation gave up seven runs (five earned) on nine hits over six innings with three walks and three home runs allowed.

But it’s not as if the Astros’ less-than-patient approach at the plate caught anybody off guard.

“That’s kind of the report we got: They were going to be aggressive with pitches in the zone, and we just fell behind,” Chicago catcher Josh Phegley said. “When a team’s that aggressive and you give them hitter's counts all the time, they’re going to be swinging the bat pretty well. Any team in the league is going to do that.”

An inability to execute the game plan was far from the only issue.

Alejandro De Aza and Avisail Garcia both made errors in the outfield on run-scoring plays, while both of Rienzo’s wild pitches led to runs. De Aza was also caught off third base on a comebacker to the pitcher.

Nate Jones pitched a scoreless eighth inning, but in an 8-8 tie, closer Addison Reed gave up back-to-back home runs to Matt Dominguez and Chris Carter. It was the second home run of the game for Carter.

“It wasn’t pretty,” Ventura said. “I would say Jones probably had the best inning out of anybody. You know, it’s just one of those where guys were swinging the bats, guys weren’t pitching very well and a lot of runs were scored.”

Like most of the team, Reed had found his groove of late, but a non-save situation once again spelled doom.

“Any time I go out there, I'm trying to go 1-2-3; it just didn't work out,” Reed said. “I felt awesome out there. I felt great. I felt I had everything working and made a couple bad pitches. I hung a slider to Dominguez, and he made me pay for it. It was nothing with fatigue or anything like that. I felt great. I just made a couple bad pitches.”

Reed recorded saves in seven of the White Sox’s past eight victories going back to Aug. 16, a stretch that included saves in six consecutive games on the most recent road trip. No White Sox pitcher had ever recorded a save in six consecutive games.

The White Sox had won four consecutive series, getting the best of first-place teams like the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers. But the lowly Astros had their number Monday.

“That's kind of the story of our year,” Reed said. “We look good one series and then do something like this. They did everything they could to get me in the game and, like I said before, it was on me. I could have avoided it, but I made a couple bad pitches.”

CHICAGO -- Winners of four consecutive series, the Chicago White Sox stumbled 10-8 on Monday in the opener of a three-game set against the Houston Astros.

How it happened: Matt Dominguez hit a ninth-inning home run off Addison Reed to put the Astros ahead, and Chris Carter followed with his own dinger for some insurance. The White Sox loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, before Avisail Garcia struck out looking to end it. Carter hit two homers and had four RBIs on the night. The White Sox took the lead with a five-run sixth inning, but Carter tied it in the seventh on an RBI single. Andre Rienzo had the worst start of his young career, giving up seven runs on nine hits in six innings. Rienzo walked three and gave up three home runs in just his sixth start since being called up July 30.

What it means: In what was no doubt the sloppiest White Sox game of the season, the contest was littered with miscues on both sides. The Astros showed their inexperience in a number of ways, from Jonathan Villar getting picked off first base to L.J. Hoes dropping a fly ball on the warning track to David Martinez’s balk with a runner on third to tie the score 7-7. But the White Sox had plenty of their own issues that included Alejandro De Aza getting caught off third base on a comebacker; Garcia overrunning a ball in right to allow two runs to score; two wild pitches from Renzo that led to runs; and a misplay from De Aza in center.

Outside the box: Adam Dunn connected on his 30th home run of the season, the ninth time in his career that he has hit the 30-homer mark. Dunn also became the first White Sox left-handed hitter to record consecutive 30-homer seasons since Jim Thome did it three years in a row, from 2006 to 2008.

Offbeat: The White Sox were actually a major league best 8-1 since Aug. 16 before they were knocked off Monday by the worst team in league standings. The White Sox’s better play of late has included series victories over the first-place teams Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers. Against the lowly Astros, though, the White Sox are 1-4, losing three of four games at Houston in June.

Up next: The White Sox will send left-hander Jose Quintana (7-4, 3.67 ERA) to the mound Tuesday in the middle game of the series. The Astros are undecided for a starter in the 7:10 p.m. CT start from U.S. Cellular Field.

CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia left Sunday’s game against the Texas Rangers in the fourth inning.

Garcia crashed into the right-field fence at full speed in front of the Rangers bullpen while chasing an eventual home run from Jeff Baker. He took the brunt of the collision with the fence on his right shoulder and the right side of his head.

He was slow to get up on the warning track and was visited by trainer Brian Ball and manager Robin Ventura.

While walking away from the wall, Garcia stopped at his position in right field as if he wanted to stay in the game, but had his head down with his hands on his knees. He then walked off the field slowly and appeared groggy as he went straight into the clubhouse.

Two separate medical tests afterward ruled out a concussion and Garcia is day to day moving forward.

Jordan Danks replaced Garcia in right field and in the bottom of the inning he hit his own home run to right field in nearly the identical spot that Baker launched his.

Garcia was acquired July 30 from the Detroit Tigers in the three-team trade that sent Jake Peavy to the Boston Red Sox. He took over in right field once Alex Rios was traded earlier this month to the Rangers.

CHICAGO – Despite 14 hits, the Chicago White Sox fell 6-4 to the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday in the finale of a three-game series and 10-game homestand.

How it happened: The White Sox jumped on the Tigers with first inning runs but couldn’t hold the lead to finish off a three-game sweep. The Tigers tied it in the third inning on a three-run home run from Miguel Cabrera and then scored three more times in the eighth inning to go ahead for good. John Danks went 7 1/3 innings, giving up six runs, but only four of them were earned. The White Sox scored their first-inning runs on an Avisail Garcia infield single, a sacrifice fly from Jeff Keppinger and a single form Conor Gillaspie. The White Sox left 15 runners on base, including at least two runners on base in six separate innings.

What it means: Just when things were improving on defense, it has all started to crumble again in a matter of days. Gillaspie had two errors Wednesday at third base a day after Alexei Ramirez had three errors at shortstop. The White Sox entered Tuesday’s game with just one error in their previous 11 games, maintaining an eight-game errorless streak during that stretch.

Outside the box: Despite the defeat, the White Sox went 6-4 on their just-completed 10-game homestand. The last time the White Sox had a winning homestand was May 20-27 when they went 5-3 in games against the Boston Red Sox, Miami Marlins and the Cubs. One game of that homestand against the Cubs was rained out.

Off beat: Cabrera can still hit it far, but with a bad left hip, he can’t run a lick. So when he hit a ground ball into the hole at shortstop in the seventh inning he merely hobbled up the line. Ramirez, in an effort to atone for his three errors Tuesday, made a sliding stop on the ball, rose to his feet, set himself slowly and threw across the diamond for the out. All Cabrera could do as he reached first base was applaud the play. In the ninth inning, Ramirez took away another potential Cabrera hit by sliding to his left for the stop. Cabrera merely stared Ramirez down after that play.

Up next: The White Sox will send right-hander Andre Rienzo (0-0, 4.42 ERA) to the mound Thursday at Minnesota in the opener of a four-game series. The Twins will counter with right-hander Mike Pelfrey (7-11, 2.77) in the 7:10 p.m. start from Target Field.

CHICAGO -– Avisail Garcia is starting to look right at home in a Chicago White Sox uniform, and for the first time Tuesday he was able to make life miserable for his former team.

Garcia, who left the Detroit Tigers organization for the White Sox in the three-team July 30 trade that sent Jake Peavy to the Boston Red Sox, had a two-run triple and scored two runs, including the game winner, as the White Sox won 4-3 in 11 innings.

A day earlier, Garcia appeared to press while playing against his former club for the first time. It was much different on Tuesday, starting with his fourth-inning triple off Max Scherzer. Not only did two runs score on the hit to put the White Sox in the lead, but Garcia then came around to score when Omar Infante’s ill-advised throw to third base got past Miguel Cabrera.

The Tigers would eventually tie the game in the eighth inning, but Garcia was there for the White Sox again in the 11th, starting the game-winning rally with a walk. When Jeff Keppinger put down a sacrifice bunt, Garcia beat the throw to second base with his above-average speed.

After a Jordan Danks groundout moved Garcia to third, Tyler Flowers walked to load the bases before Alejandro De Aza delivered the game-ending single.

“I feel very good,” Garcia said. “I’m just trying to do my job, play hard and do something good for my team. I’m trying to win games.”

Garcia played off his struggles Monday, obviously not carrying them into the following game.

“It’s all about baseball,” he said. “When you get traded, that’s going to happen. You want to play the same way you play all the years of your career.”

Manager Robin Ventura is seeing his new outfielder get into a comfort zone less than a week after joining the White Sox.

“I think it's going to be one of those where he'll probably be more relaxed as time goes on and he's here,” Ventura said. “He did a nice job. He's kind of working through it, being simple. I think the first couple days, he’s probably swinging a little hard trying to hit something real far. So, it was a nice at-bat, get something the other way against a very tough pitcher.”

The triple in the fourth inning was Garcia’s first extra-base hit with the White Sox, but he didn’t have much time to get reacquainted with Cabrera at third base because he immediately sprinted home on the error. In the 11th inning, though, Garcia was standing at third during a pitching change, giving him and Cabrera a little time to talk.

“I’ve got a good relationship with him,” Garcia said. “We’re always talking about everything. He sends me a message and I text him back. We’re good.”

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox evened the three-game series with a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday at U.S. Cellular Field.

How it happened: Alejandro De Aza hit a game-ending single in the 11th inning for the victory. The White Sox were close, but couldn’t tag Tigers starter Max Scherzer with his second loss of the season. They carried a one-run lead into the eighth inning before the Tigers got Scherzer off the hook with the game-tying run that came, in part, because of an Alexei Ramirez fielding error. Former Tigers outfielder Avisail Garcia had given the White Sox the lead with a two-run triple in the fourth inning and then scored when Omar Infante's throw to third base got past Miguel Cabrera. White Sox starter Hector Santiago gave up two runs over five innings, but just one was earned.

What it means: A day after appearing to force the issue in his first game against his former club, Garcia looked at least a little more relaxed Tuesday. His fourth-inning triple was his third hit with the White Sox and first extra-base hit. He also delivered his first two RBIs with the White Sox. His hard grounder in the ninth inning was changed from an error to a hit and his walk in the 11th inning allowed him to eventually score the game-winning run.

Outside the box: Sure there were two hits from Ramirez to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, but he also committed three errors. The White Sox had committed just one error in their previous 11 games after making 15 miscues in the 11 games before that. Their eight-game errorless streak, their longest since 2011, ended Saturday. The White Sox entered 11th in the American League with a .982 fielding percentage.

Off beat: So much for that outing June 30 when White Sox rookie pitcher Andre Rienzo didn’t allow an earned run in his major league debut. MLB overturned an official scorekeeper’s call and gave Carlos Santana a single instead of charging Ramirez with an error at shortstop. It means that all three runs in that outing were earned and Rienzo’s ERA rose from 2.95 to 4.42. Before the ruling was overturned, Rienzo had been the first White Sox pitcher to go at least seven innings and not allow an earned run since Jack McDowell in 1987.

Up next: The White Sox will send left-hander John Danks (2-10, 4.52 ERA) to the mound Wednesday in the finale of the three-game series. The Tigers will counter with right-hander Rick Porcello (8-6, 4.32) in the 1:10 p.m. start from U.S. Cellular Field.