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 Eaton's sixth homer of the season came off right-handed closer
Roberto Osuna, who'd picked up his fourth save the night before
after cementing the closer's role for Toronto.
Chicago finally had a big night offensively at home. The White Sox
finished with 16 hits and scored more than four runs in front of
their home fans for the first time since May 9, a string of 24
straight games.
Eaton went 2-for-4 with two RBIs to lead six Chicago with
two-or-more hits. Right fielder Avisail Garcia matched his career
high with four hits by going 4-for-5 with an RBI, while first
baseman Adam LaRoche went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Chicago (38-44).
The White Sox have won six of their past eight games.
Designated hitter Josh Donaldson led Toronto's attack by continuing
to blister White Sox pitching this season. Donaldson went 2-for-4
with two RBIs. Shortstop Jose Reyes went 1-for-5 and also drove in
two runs for the Blue Jays (44-43).
Trailing 6-4 in the sixth, Chicago did something that hadn't been
done by the home team at U.S. Cellular Field since May 9. The White
Sox scored two runs on four hits to tie it 6-6 and ended a string of
24 straight home games without scoring more than four runs. The runs
were charged to right-hander Liam Hendriks, who allowed three hits
in 2/3 of an inning.
It wasn't a great night for either starting pitcher either. Chicago
left-hander John Danks allowed six runs on eight hits in just 4 1/3
innings, and Toronto right-hander Drew Hutchinson gave up four runs
in five innings.
Like he did a year ago against the White Sox in Chicago, Hutchinson
struggled in the first inning.
The White Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead on four hits, a walk and a
sacrifice fly, with the most damaging hit a two-run double by
LaRoche.
The Blue Jays, however, didn't flinch. Coming into the game,
Toronto's offense had provided Hutchinson a whopping 7.65 runs of
support per outing and continued the trend of picking him up by
scoring four runs in the third to take a brief 4-3 lead.
The Blue Jays rattled off five straight hits to start the inning
against Danks, including a two-run single by shortstop Jose Reyes
and run-scoring double by Donaldson. The White Sox tied it 4-4 in
their half of the third on Abreu's one-out double -- a routine fly
ball to center that Kevin Pillar lost in flight -- and an RBI single
by right fielder Avisail Garcia.
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It looked like that would be the inning that Chicago ended its
vexing stretch of games without scoring more than four runs at home,
but runners were stranded at the corners when LaRoche struck out and
shortstop Alexei Ramirez ground out to end the inning.
Toronto made it 6-4 with three more hits in the fifth off Danks, who
was removed after giving up an RBI single to first baseman Edwin
Encarnacion.
NOTES: White Sox manager Robin Ventura said if LHP Chris Sale
pitches in the All-Star Game on Tuesday, Sale would not be available
to start either of Chicago's doubleheader games July 17 against the
Kansas City Royals. Sale is a candidate to start the All-Star Game
for the American League. ... Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said RHP
Aaron Sanchez (lat strain) felt good Wednesday, a day after throwing
two innings in his first rehab outing in the rookie-level Gulf Coast
League. Sanchez will throw another two-inning outing Saturday. ...
White Sox GM Rick Hahn said the trade market is pretty quiet at the
moment and he is trying to determine whether the team will be
sellers at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. ... RHP Javy
Guerra, who was pitching for the White Sox's Triple-A Charlotte
affiliate, was suspended 50 games after failing a second test for a
drug of abuse. Guerra, 29, began the season with the White Sox.
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