CHICAGO (AP) – Tim Anderson became the third Chicago White Sox player to win an American League batting title, finishing at .335 after going 0 for 2 in a season-ending 5-3 win over the worst-in-the-majors Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
Anderson grounded out in the first inning, lined out in the third, then was replaced at the start of the fifth. He received a standing ovation and took a curtain call after the team announced the batting title on the scoreboard in the sixth.
DJ LeMahieu of the Yankees was second at .327 after an 0 for 3 finish.
Anderson joined Luke Appling (1936 and 1943) and Frank Thomas (1997) as batting champions for the White Sox. The 26-year-old Anderson hit .240 in 567 at-bats last season.
“He will continue to improve in all aspects of his game,” Chicago manager Rick Renteria said. “He will continue to be a guy that helps ignite us. If he’s not a star now, he’s a star in the making.”
Chicago went 72-89, up from 62-100 last year.
Detroit skidded to a 47-114 mark from last year’s 64-98 and wound up with the second-most losses in franchise history behind 119 in 2003. The Tigers will pick first in the amateur draft next June for the second time in three years.
Chicago trailed 2-1 before a four-run sixth inning. Yoan Moncada hit an RBI groundout, Eloy Jimenez followed with a run-scoring double against Spencer Turnbull (3-17) and Welington Castillo hit a two-run homer off David McKay.
Turnbull was 0-13 in his last 18 starts after beating Atlanta on May 31. Turnbull allowed four runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Jimmy Cordero (1-1) got two outs for his second big league win, his first since Aug. 21 last year for Washington against Philadelphia. Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth for his first save since Aug. 5 last year for the Nationals against Cincinnati.
Miguel Cabrera and Ronny Rodriguez homered for Detroit. Cabrera hit 12 homers, raising his two-year total to 15 and his career total to 477.
