Blue Jays defeated White Sox 5-4 in doubleheader sweep
Whit Merrifield played every inning of Toronto’s doubleheader on Thursday. It was a long but very productive day.
Merrifield hit two solo homers and Matt Chapman also connected, helping the Blue Jays defeat the Chicago White Sox 5-4 on Thursday night and win the two games.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two hits and two RBIs for Toronto, including a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning. Fellow All-Star Bo Bichette had four of the team’s 16 hits.
“Total team effort, especially with the bullpen,” said manager John Schneider.
Toronto used a six-run 11th inning to beat the White Sox 6-2 in the opener. George Springer hit a tiebreaking RBI single and Jordan Romano (4-4) worked the 10th for the win.
The Blue Jays (48-40) completed a season sweep, defeating Chicago 35-11 in six games. They are 10-2 against the White Sox since early last year.
Merrifield and company are looking to build some momentum into the All-Star break. Next is a three game set in Detroit.
“This part of the season can be grueling,” said Merrifield. “But we’re all a pretty professional team in there. We know what our job is when we show up.
Chicago (37-52) has lost five of six, slipping further into the lackluster AL Central and increasing the likelihood of a sell-off at the August 1 trade deadline.
The doubleheader was scheduled after Wednesday-evening’s game was canceled due to rain.
“We still have a lot of games left,” said White Sox manager Pedro Grifol. “We have to prepare and play baseball every day. We can’t do anything about these two games here today or the game we played on Tuesday.”
Eloy Jimenez hit a two-run homer for the White Sox in the second game. Tim Anderson had a runscoring single.
Chicago had a 4-3 lead before Merrifield led off the sixth inning with his fourth homer, a drive to left-center against Bryan Shaw. It was Merrifield’s fourth career multihomer game.
Bichette singled in the seventh inning against Nick Padilla (0-1) and scored from the first moment on Guerrero’s drive into the right center hole.
Jay Jackson (1-0) retired four in his first win since July 31, 2021 for San Francisco against Houston. Nate Pearson threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his first career save.
“An opportunity for guys like Jay and Nate to step forward, and they did,” Schneider said.
Toronto had one hit in the first game before breaking out against Aaron Bummer (3-2) in the 11th.
Chicago wasted a great performance by Lance Lynn, who struckout 11 in seven dominant innings. The White Sox finished with only four hits in the opener.
“Lance was excellent. We couldn’t wish for a better start,” said Grifol.
Springer gave Toronto an 1-0 lead when he drove in Cavan Biggio with a grounder up the middle. Bichette, Daulton Varsho and Guerrero followed with three more runscoring singles, and Biggio ended the big inning with a two-run double.
White Sox rookie Oscar Colas hit an RBI double and scored on Andrew Vaughn’s single in the bottom half. Yimi Garcia relieved Thomas Hatch and retired the side for his first save of the season.
Lynn gave up one hit – Springer’s single in the third inning – and walked one. The burly right-hander has struckout 41 in 25 2/3 innings over his last four starts.
“This has been the worst first half of my career, but I’m knocking guys out at an elite pace,” he said. “I just need to figure out how to make it start after start and keep building on it.”
Lynn was matched every step of the way by Jose Berrios, who threw seven sharp innings. Elvis Andrus singled in third for Chicago’s lone hit by the right-hander.
“Knowing he’s going to pitch for them, I know he’s happy to participate. He likes to throw in the game long,” Berrios said of the matchup with Lynn. “So I tried to do my best, I tried to pitch high quality pitches.”
Berrios got some help from his defense. Springer robbed Zach Remillard of a right diving grapple hit for the second of the third. Alejandro Kirk threw out Andrus when he tried to steal second base on an error in the sixth.
MAKE MOVEMENTS
Chicago placed right-hander Joe Kelly on its 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. Padilla was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte and Jimmy Lambert, another right-hander, was added to the roster as the 27th player.
Toronto added Jackson from Triple-A Buffalo as the 27th man.
Lambert was handed back to Charlotte after the doubleheader and Hatch was optioned to Buffalo.
TRAINERS ROOM
White Sox: 3B Yoan Moncada (Lower Back Injury) is expected to begin a rehab assignment after the All-Star break. “He’s doing really well,” Grifol said. … Grifol said RHP Michael Kopech (shoulder inflammation) will be available right after the break, and RHP Mike Clevinger (right bicep inflammation) is just a little behind him. “Clevinger, we’re hoping maybe within that week, if not maybe the second week,” Grifol said.
NEXT ONE
Blue Jays: RHP Alek Manoah (1-7, 6.36 ERA) starts Friday-evening in the opener of a three-game series in Detroit. It is Manoah’s first big league game since he was sent to the minors last month. RHP Alex Faedo (1-3, 5.54 ERA) throws for the Tigers.
White Sox: RHP Dylan Cease (3-3, 4.10 ERA) opens Friday night at home against St. Louis. LHP Jordan Montgomery (6-7, 3.28 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals.
