Rolen gets late hit to help Halladay and Jays win

[April 27, 2009]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Scott Rolen hit a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning, helping the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Chicago White Sox 4-3 Sunday to secure their sixth straight series win this season.

Rod Barajas had three hits for the Blue Jays, who have won eight of 11 games.

Vernon Wells led off the eighth with a double off White Sox reliever Scott Linebrink (0-1). Adam Lind walked then Rolen drove in Wells.

After a shaky start, Toronto ace Roy Halladay (4-1) settled down and retired 12 of the last 14 batters he faced.

He allowed three runs and scattered eight in seven innings. Halladay had six strikeouts and walked his first batter in two starts.

Toronto reliever Jason Frasor got one out in the eighth and Jesse Carlson finished the inning by retiring Jim Thome and striking Jermaine Dye.

Scott Downs, closing in place of the injured B.J. Ryan, pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save in two opportunities.

Lind hit a two-run double in the first inning to give Toronto the quick advantage.

But Halladay couldn't hold the lead. After a leadoff double by Brent Lillibridge, Josh Fields drove him in with an RBI single.

In the third inning, Paul Konerko hit a two-run double to give the White Sox a 3-2 lead.

Barajas doubled in the fourth inning and scored on Marco Scutaro's groundout to tie the score at 3.

White Sox starter Jose Contreras had his worst outing of the season Tuesday night in Baltimore -- six runs over 5 1-3 innings -- and came into Sunday with an 0-3 record and 8.04 ERA. But he was effective against the Blue Jays, allowing just three runs on eight hits in seven innings.

Notes: 2B Chris Getz was out of the White Sox lineup with a small fracture at the top of his right middle finger for the second straight game. "We're going to see how it reacts. I don't think it is a one day or two day thing," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. If Getz is placed on the DL, Guillen prefers the White Sox do not call up highly touted INF Gordon Beckham from Double-A Birmingham, who was picked in the first-round of the 2008 draft. ... Halladay went 19 straight innings without allowing a walk.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.