Detroit Tigers Humble Chicago White Sox 5-1

The euphoria over Mark Buehrle's perfect game and the White Sox's moving into a share of first place lasted less than 24 hours.

Detroit ace Justin Verlander moved the Tigers back into sole possession of first place in the American League Central by pitching a six-hitter Friday to humble the Sox 5-1 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader

Verlander (11-5) won for the third time in his past four starts and didn't allow a hit after Carlos Quentin's double in the fourth inning until A.J. Pierzynski's leadoff single in the ninth. After Quentin's double, Verlander retired 15 of the next 16 batters.

But Pierzynski's single was the first of three consecutive hits. The rally was stunted when rookie Gordon Beckham grounded back to the mound for a double play, and Dewayne Wise grounded out to short to end the game.

Verlander threw 127 pitches, 83 for strikes. His 124th pitch was clocked at 100 mph.

The Sox (50-46) loaded the bases in the second, but rookie Beckham grounded into a fielder's choice for the final out. Beckham drove in the Sox's lone run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth but is hitless in his past 10 at-bats.

Wise led off the third with a double but was stranded. The core of the Sox's batting order -- Alexei Ramirez, Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome and Paul Konerko -- were a combined 0-for-14.

Jose Contreras was tagged for nine hits in 6 2/3 innings. Contreras struck out eight and wasn't hit hard, but the Tigers produced some well-timed hits, such as Ryan Raburn's RBI double in the fourth that snapped a 1-1 tie and Placido Polanco's RBI single in the seventh that skipped past Dye in right for an error.