Chicago | Kenny Rogers pitched six shutout innings for his 16th win, Magglio Ordonez homered twice against his former team and the Detroit Tigers increased their AL Central lead Monday night by beating the Chicago White Sox 8-2.

The Tigers lead Minnesota, which was idle Monday night, by 1 1/2 games in the division and are six games ahead of the defending World Series champion White Sox, whose return to the playoffs is in deep jeopardy after a sixth loss in eight games.

Rogers (16-6) allowed just four hits, escaped several jams and is 5-1 over his last nine starts. He improved to 3-1 against the White Sox this season and has allowed three earned runs in 33 innings against Chicago.

Jim Thome’s 40th homer, a solo shot off Fernando Rodney in the eighth, ended the Tigers’ shutout bid. Pinch-hitter Josh Fields homered in the ninth in his first big league at-bat for the White Sox.

This time it was Ordonez’s turn to put a big hurt on his former team with a pair of solo homers. On Saturday and Sunday in Oakland, ex-White Sox star Frank Thomas hit homers to help the A’s sweep Chicago.

Craig Monroe also connected off Mark Buehrle (12-13), who was bailed out of a big first inning by the White Sox’s second triple play of the season. Buehrle, just 3-7 in the second half, gave up 10 hits and four runs in 6 2-3 innings.

Ordonez homered in the fourth and fifth innings, his 21st and 22nd of the season. Brandon Inge added a three-run drive off Chicago reliever Brandon McCarthy in the ninth for his 25th homer.

The White Sox had two runners on in the first, third, fifth and sixth innings but twice Rogers induced double-play grounders to escape and another time struck out A.J. Pierzynski. The Tigers turned a third inning-ending double play in the eighth.

The Associated Press