DETROIT -- Jose Abreu's home run drought had lasted over a month, and the Chicago slugger was well aware.
"It was a tough time for me, because I've never experienced something like that in my career," Abreu said through a translator. "Bad stretches when I couldn't hit homers, but not a long bad stretch like this."
Abreu can stop worrying about it now. He and Avisail Garcia both went deep in a five-run second inning, and the White Sox chased Jordan Zimmermann early in his return from the disabled list, snapping Detroit's eight-game winning streak with a 6-3 victory over the Tigers on Thursday.
Abreu's two-run shot was his first homer since June 23.
"It's been a long time, and I think somewhere in there, it's been dragging on him," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "I think his swings today were great, and he hit a lot of balls right on the nose, which is a good sign for him."
Zimmermann (9-5) had been out since June 30 because of a right neck strain, and now a lat issue has come up. The right-hander was to have an MRI, and the Tigers were taking a wait-and-see approach on his next start.
"His lat was a little bit tight, not really related to what the issue was when he was on the DL," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "He just couldn't seem to get loose. There was no pain, he was just having trouble getting extended and locating the ball."
Zimmermann allowed six runs and six hits in 1 2/3 innings, failing to strike out a batter. Jose Quintana (9-8) allowed three runs and eight hits in 7 1/3 innings.
David Robertson pitched the ninth for his 26th save in 30 chances, and Chicago won for only the second time in eight games.
Miguel Cabrera and Ian Kinsler homered for Detroit, but the Tigers fell to three games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland.
Zimmermann labored through the first, allowing a run on Justin Morneau's sacrifice fly, but it was the second inning that was his undoing. Garcia homered into the second level of bushes beyond the wall in center field to give Chicago a 2-1 lead. Not long after that, trainer Kevin Rand went to the mound to check on Zimmermann, but the right-hander remained in the game.
Melky Cabrera added an RBI single, and Adam Eaton hit a sacrifice fly. Abreu then made it 6-1 with a drive to left.
It was Zimmermann's shortest outing since he also went 1 2/3 innings for Washington against Miami on April 9, 2014.
MORE SUPPORT
Quintana had received one run or fewer of support in nine of his previous 14 starts. He protected the big lead without much drama Thursday after a shaky first inning.
POWER
Kinsler's homer was his 21st of the season and Miguel Cabrera's was his 25th.
Kinsler's leadoff homer tied the game at 1, and the Tigers nearly scored again in the first on J.D. Martinez's double, but the relay home was in time to retire Nick Castellanos for the third out.
In the seventh, the Tigers scored on an RBI single by Tyler Collins, and Miguel Cabrera hit his solo shot an inning later.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: Rookie SS Tim Anderson left in the first inning with a bruised left hand after being hit by a pitch. X-rays were negative.
Tigers: OF Cameron Maybin sat out with a sprained left thumb.
UP NEXT
White Sox: Chicago hosts Baltimore for three games. Miguel Gonzalez (2-5) of the White Sox faces Yovani Gallardo (3-3) of the Orioles on Friday night.
Tigers: Justin Verlander (11-6) takes the mound against Noah Syndergaard (9-5) in the opener of a three-game series against the New York Mets.
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Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister