CHICAGO (Interstat) — Hao-Yu Lee hit a game-tying two-run homer in the eighth inning, and Riley Greene followed with a two-run shot later in the same inning as the Detroit Tigers rallied for an 11-8 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Tigers finished with 16 hits and improved to 74-82. The White Sox had seven hits and fell to 79-77. Detroit won the middle game of a weekend series after Chicago took the opener 3-1 on Thursday. Attendance was 26,204, and the game took 3 hours, 14 minutes.

The game turned early when Chicago sent 11 batters to the plate in a six-run first. Tommy Pham walked, Munetaka Murakami walked and Chase Meidroth reached on a fielding error by Gleyber Torres to load the bases. Kyle Teel was hit by a pitch to force in a run. Brenton Doyle reached on Lee’s error, allowing Murakami to score. Colson Montgomery then doubled to right field, clearing the bases and giving Chicago a 5-1 lead. Miguel Vargas doubled home Montgomery, and Tristan Peters was thrown out at home on the play, ending the inning with Chicago ahead 6-1. Detroit rookie starter Andrew Sears was hurt by two errors, including Lee’s bobble on Doyle’s ground ball that extended the inning.

Detroit began chipping away against Chicago pitching. Kevin McGonigle singled home Eduardo Valencia in the third to make it 8-2 after Vargas added a two-run homer in the bottom of the third, his 32nd of the season. In the fifth, McGonigle cleared the bases with a triple to center field, scoring Max Clark, Valencia and Lee, cutting the deficit to 8-5. Lee doubled home Clark in the sixth to bring Detroit within two. McGonigle finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs, while Lee went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs. Vargas went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs for Chicago. Colson Montgomery went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

Chicago had chances earlier but could not add to its lead. Pham and Randal Grichuk singled in the second, but Murakami and Meidroth struck out and Teel flew out. Brenton Doyle doubled in the third and scored on Vargas’s home run. Teel was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the first, forcing in a run. Peters walked but was thrown out at home on Vargas’s double, with Riley Greene relaying to McGonigle and Eduardo Valencia applying the tag. Chicago’s Hagen Smith pitched a scoreless inning with three strikeouts and one walk, and Trevor Richards allowed one hit in 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Chicago’s bullpen could not hold the lead. After Detroit pulled within 8-6, relievers Sean Newcomb and others tried to protect the advantage. Newcomb was charged with the loss, falling to 2-5. Detroit’s comeback began in the eighth when Valencia was hit by a pitch and Lee drove a pitch to right field. Braden Montgomery retreated to the fence but ran out of room, and Lee’s opposite-field two-run homer tied the game 8-8. Lee’s emotional trip around the bases included a flex toward the Detroit dugout, a point toward the right-field bullpen, a slap of third-base coach Billy Boyer’s hand and a chest bump from Valencia at home plate. The Detroit dugout reacted with equal energy.

The Tigers were not finished. McGonigle walked, Torres singled to right to put runners on the corners, and Dillon Dingler singled home McGonigle to give Detroit a 9-8 lead. Greene then launched a two-run homer to right-center field, scoring Dingler and giving Detroit an 11-8 cushion. Greene’s 21st home run of the season provided the final margin. Detroit’s bullpen made the lead stand. Brant Hurter worked 1 2/3 innings, allowing one hit and one walk with no earned runs. Tyler Kinley followed with 1 1/3 hitless innings. Drew Sommers earned the win with two hitless innings and five strikeouts, improving to 2-5. Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth for his 21st save, striking out one.

Sommers struck out the side in the eighth, fanning Colson Montgomery, Braden Montgomery and Vargas. Jansen then retired Sam Antonacci, Grichuk and Murakami in order in the ninth, striking out Murakami to end it. Max Clark, Valencia and Lee each had key hits during the rally, and Lee added a single in the ninth to finish with four hits. Clark scored twice, Valencia scored twice and McGonigle drove in four runs. Detroit’s 16-hit attack overcame an early six-run deficit and a five-run hole after three innings.

The loss spoiled a fast start for Chicago, which had won the series opener 3-1 on Thursday. The White Sox had been the home team at Guaranteed Rate Field and were looking to build on their 79-77 record, but Detroit’s late power proved too much. The Tigers improved to 74-82 and will continue the series against the White Sox on Saturday and Sunday before returning home to face Washington. Chicago will also host Detroit on Saturday and Sunday before traveling to Kansas City.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Detroit 6, Chicago 3. Interstat’s ELO system gave Detroit a 50.3 percent probability to win. Chicago had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 19 went under the over/under line of 8.5.