Field Level Media
Aug 25, 2021
Alejandro Kirk singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, Robbie Ray matched his career best with 14 strikeouts and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Wednesday night.
Aaron Bummer (2-5) allowed two-out singles to Teoscar Hernandez and pinch hitter Breyvic Valera in the two-run bottom of the eighth, and Kirk delivered a single.
Jose Ruiz replaced Bummer and Yoan Moncada made an error on Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s grounder to third. Randal Grichuk then walked to force in another run.
Tim Mayza (4-1) pitched a perfect top of the eighth. Jordan Romano worked around a single in the ninth to earn his 13th save. The Blue Jays have won two of the first three games of the four-game series.
Ray went seven innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk. The left-hander also hit a batter.
Chicago right-hander Lucas Giolito worked six innings, giving up one run, five hits and one walk with six strikeouts.
The White Sox scored a run in the third. Leury Garcia led off with a single, stole second and third and came home on Moncada's two-out single. Moncada extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
The Blue Jays tied the game in the fourth. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled with one out and scored on Corey Dickerson's two-out triple.
Ray walked Jose Abreu with two outs in the sixth and hit Eloy Jimenez with a pitch but ended the inning by striking out Luis Robert.
Guerrero walked with one out in the bottom of the sixth and an out later took second on Dickerson's infield single to second. But Kirk grounded out to shortstop.
Cesar Hernandez hit an infield single to third with one out in the seventh and took second on Garcia's single to right. But Seby Zavala struck out for the third time, and Tim Anderson, who missed the previous four games with sore legs, also struck out.
Former Blue Jays pitcher Ryan Tepera replaced Giolito and worked around a walk in the seventh.
--Field Level Media