CHICAGO (AP) — Andrew Vaughn homered in the seventh inning and delivered a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth, helping the Chicago White Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 on Tuesday night.
Shut out by Robbie Ray for most of the game, Chicago got on the board on Vaughn's fifth homer and then broke it open with five runs in the eighth.
After Vaughn made it 2-1 with a bases-loaded fly ball to deep center against Trent Thornton (1-2), Adam Eaton drove in Yermín Mercedes with a pinch-hit single. Leury García added a two-run triple, and Tim Anderson capped the rally with a sac fly.
Garrett Crochet (2-2) got three outs for the win as the AL Central leaders moved a season-high 14 games over .500 at 37-23.
Toronto went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base in the opener of a seven-game trip, wasting a terrific performance by Ray.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reached three times for the Blue Jays on a single and two walks. Dante Bichette had two hits and a leaping grab on José Abreu’s liner to shortstop in the fourth.
Ray carried a 1-0 lead into the seventh and fanned Yasmani Grandal for the first out. But Vaughn followed with a drive to right-center, chasing the left-hander after 102 pitches.
Chicago then loaded the bases on two walks and a single, but Rafael Dolis escaped the jam when he threw a called third strike past Yoán Moncada.
Ray allowed five hits and walked none in his first career appearance against the White Sox. He leads the Blue Jays with 82 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings this season.
Toronto put at least two runners on in four of the first five innings, but Jonathan Davis' sacrifice fly in the second accounted for its only run against Carlos Rodón.
Teoscar Hernández and Randal Grichuk struck out with runners at the corners in the first. Grichuk bounced into an inning-ending double play in the third. With two outs and runners on the corners in the fifth, Hernández flied to center on a 3-0 pitch.
Rodón allowed six hits in five innings. He struck out eight and walked two.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: C Danny Jansen was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained right hamstring, and C Riley Adams was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo. Adams went 1 for 3 in his first big league game. ... OF George Springer (quad strain) traveled with the team to Chicago, and manager Charlie Montoyo said the plan was to have Springer work out on the field before the series opener. ... 3B-OF Cavan Biggio (sprained spine ligament) homered Sunday in his first rehab game with Buffalo.
White Sox: Manager Tony La Russa said RHP Michael Kopech (strained left hamstring) is feeling better. Kopech hasn't appeared in a game since May 26. “I think you’re looking for, when he throws or runs, that he doesn’t feel anything," La Russa said. “I still think he’s got a little pinch in there that’s holding him back some, but he’s making progress.” ... LHP Jace Fry (microdiscectomy) tossed two scoreless innings in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Charlotte.
UP NEXT
Lance Lynn (7-1, 1.23 ERA) faces Blue Jays rookie Alek Manoah (1-0, 3.86) on Wednesday night. Lynn is looking for his fourth straight win, part of a terrific start in his first year with the White Sox. Manoah allowed four runs and four hits over 3 1/3 innings in his second career start Wednesday against Miami.
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Jay Cohen can be reached at https://twitter.com/jcohenap
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Jay Cohen, The Associated Press
