Gillaspie Grand Slam Helps White Sox Beat Jays, 7-5
CHICAGO (AP) — Conor Gillaspie hit his first grand slam and Jordan Danks added a two-run shot to cap a six-run first inning, and the Chicago White Sox held on to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5 on Sunday.
Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer, his 27th this season and first since returning from the disabled list on Friday. The Blue Jays have lost five of six and 11 of 15 to fall 7 ½ games behind Baltimore in the AL East and four behind Seattle in the AL wild card race.
Chicago right-hander Scott Carroll (5-7) went 5 2-3 innings and allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks
Gillaspie connected for this fifth homer and Danks hit his second off Toronto's Drew Hutchison (8-11), who lost for the fifth time in seven decisions. He pitched seven innings and limited the White Sox to one run after the first.
Hutchison has given up six runs or more in four of his last seven starts.
Danks added a third RBI on a sac fly in the sixth. Jake Petricka earned his ninth save in 12 chances after loading the bases in the ninth.
Toronto grabbed a 1-0 lead on the first when Jose Reyes scored on a play that was overturned by video review. He originally had been called out at the plate on a throw from first baseman Jose Abreu.
Encarnacion's golfed his homer just into the left field bullpen in the fifth as Toronto cut it to 6-4. Pinch-hitter Dioner Navarro singled in a run in the sixth to make it 6-5.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Toronto: RHP Kyle Drabek, 7-7 with a 4.00 ERA in Triple-A Buffalo, rejoined the Blue Jays bullpen on Sunday. Drabek is 8-15 in stints over four previous seasons with Toronto, both as a starter and reliever. He last pitched for the Blue Jays on Sept. 25, 2013.
Veteran 1B Dan Johnson began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday, going 0 for 3 with an RBI. He's played 13 games with the Blues Jays this season and was put on the DL with a strained left hamstring.
TOP PRIZE
White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon, the third overall pick in this year's MLB draft and one of Chicago's top prospects, is scheduled make his Triple-A debut with Charlotte on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: LHP J.A. Happ (8-7, 4.20) faces Brewers RHP Mike Fiers (2-1, 1.29) at Milwaukee on Tuesday. Fiers had a career-high 14 strikeouts in his last start, his second since his recall from the minors.
White Sox: LHP Chris Sale (10-2, 2.01) will face Baltimore RHP Bud Norris (10-7, 3.75) in Chicago on Monday to start a three-game series. Following an off-day on Thursday, Baltimore has a three-game set against the Cubs at Wrigley Field
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