Field Level Media
Apr 2, 2018
Russell Martin hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the seventh inning, and the Toronto Blue Jays held on for a 4-2 win over the visiting Chicago White Sox on Monday night at Rogers Centre.
Josh Donaldson and Aledmys Diaz also homered for Toronto, which improved to 3-2 on its opening homestand.
Welington Castillo homered twice in a losing effort as Chicago took its first loss in three games this season.
Martin put the Blue Jays on top 3-2 with a two-run shot over the left field wall off right-handed reliever Danny Farquhar (1-1). The blast marked the first home run of the season for Martin, who clubbed 13 homers in 91 games in 2017.
Diaz added a home run off Farquhar in the eighth to make it a two-run lead for Toronto.
Toronto's comeback spoiled a strong outing by White Sox right-hander Reynaldo Lopez, who carried a no-hitter into the fifth. Curtis Granderson broke up the no-hit bid on an infield single that shortstop Tim Anderson failed to corral.
Lopez yielded one run on two hits in six innings. He walked two and fanned six.
Blue Jays right-hander Seung Hwan Oh (1-0) earned the victory despite surrendering a solo shot in one inning of relief. Oh followed left-hander Jaime Garcia, who allowed one run in six innings in his Toronto debut.
Toronto closer Roberto Osuna pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save.
Chicago opened the scoring on a solo home run by Castillo in the fourth. On a 2-1 pitch, the journeyman catcher belted a 409-foot shot over the left-center-field wall for his first home run with the White Sox.
Toronto evened the score at 1 on a blast by Donaldson in the sixth. He tracked a fastball on the outside corner and lofted an opposite-field shot to right field for his first home run.
Donaldson stared into the White Sox dugout and mock-whistled as he crossed home plate. The gesture reportedly was aimed at Chicago first base coach Daryl Boston, who blows a whistle when his team makes good plays on defense. Boston chuckled at Donaldson's home run celebration.
Castillo struck again in the seventh to give Chicago a 2-1 lead. His 389-foot blast marked his sixth career multi-homer game.
--Field Level Media