Quintana ends winless skid, White Sox beat Toronto

[August 15, 2012]  TORONTO (AP) -- Jose Quintana snapped a five-start winless streak and the Chicago White Sox held off the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 Tuesday night for a rare victory at Rogers Centre.

The AL Central leaders won in Toronto for just the fourth time in 20 games dating to 2007.

Quintana (5-2) allowed two runs and eight hits in 6 2-3 innings. Brett Myers got one out in the seventh, Matt Thornton retired two batters in the eighth and Addison Reed ended the inning by fanning pinch hitter Yan Gomes with a runner at third.

Reed closed it out in the ninth for his 21st save in 24 chances.

The Blue Jays have lost 12 of their past 16.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura juggled his lineup, moving Alex Rios into the third spot, shifting Adam Dunn from third to cleanup and dropping Kevin Youkilis from second to fifth. Dewayne Wise hit second for Chicago.

Ventura said the changes were an attempt to decrease his team's reliance on home runs, but the result was a lineup that collected just seven hits, all of them singles.

Toronto struck quickly against Quintana, with Yunel Escobar hitting an RBI single in the first. The Blue Jays added one more in the third when Rajai Davis doubled, stole third and scored on Edwin Encarnacion's groundout.

Chicago took the lead with a three-run third, starting with RBI singles from Alejandro De Aza and Wise. De Aza then scored from third when pitcher Henderson Alvarez overthrew David Cooper on a pickoff play at first. The error was the second of the game for Alvarez.

Toronto loaded the bases with one out in the fifth but Encarnacion lined out to third and Davis was doubled off second to end the inning.

Alvarez (7-10) allowed two earned runs in seven innings.

NOTES: When Toronto rookie Moises Sierra broke his bat fouling off a ball in the third, the jagged broken barrel flew into the seats behind the third base dugout. The bat landed in an aisle and no one was hurt. Sierra broke another bat when he grounded out in the eighth. ... Blue Jays OF Colby Rasmus (right groin) was scratched from the starting lineup and replaced by Mike McCoy. Rasmus delivered a pinch-hit single in the ninth and was replaced by pinch runner Omar Vizquel. ... Chicago 1B Paul Konerko (concussion) rode an exercise bike Tuesday, his first activity since going on the 7-day DL last week. ... Toronto signed C Jeff Mathis to a two-year, $3 million contract with a team option for a third year and signed C Yorvit Torrealba to a minor league deal. Torrealba will report to Double-A New Hampshire. ... Toronto manager John Farrell said OF Jose Bautista (left wrist) felt no pain after swinging and hitting off the tee Monday. Bautista has not played since July 16. ... Blue Jays RHP Brandon Morrow (strained left side) allowed three hits in 4 2-3 scoreless innings in a rehab start at Double-A. He walked none and struck out six. ... Actor Charlie Sheen, in town to play in Joe Carter's celebrity golf tournament, took batting practice before the game and threw out the first pitch.

[Associated Press]

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