TORONTO – Danny Jansen enjoyed a three-hit, five-RBI outing that included a two-run homer, and starter Jose Berrios won for the first time in a month as the Toronto Blue Jays hammered the Chicago White Sox 9-3 in the three-game series opener on Monday.
Daulton Varsho also smacked a two-run homer as the Blue Jays (21-25) won back-to-back games for the first time since Apr. 28-29 but remained in last place in the American League East Division.
The White Sox (14-34), last in the AL Central Division, dropped their fourth in a row.
Berrios (5-3) plucked his first win since winning his fourth game on Apr. 20. His six-inning, 100-pitch performance yielded three runs on eight hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Erick Fedde (4-1) lost for the first time this season. He yielded five runs on seven hits with two walks and a strikeout in six innings.
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The White Sox snatched a 1-0 advantage in the second inning. Paul DeJong, who went 3 for 4 with two RBI, singled with two out and stole second base.
Korey Lee knocked in his teammate with a bloop single to centre.
The Blue Jays scored twice in their half of the inning and added two more in the third. Varsho belted his eighth home run, a two-run blast to right-centre.
In the third inning, Jansen doubled home Kevin Kiermaier, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in Jansen with a single to right.
Chicago made it 4-2 in the fourth inning. Gavin Sheets led off the frame with a double to right after George Springer dove and missed the ball in front of him. Sheets scored on a DeJong single.
Toronto restored its three-run lead in the sixth inning before 36,933 with the roof open at Rogers Centre. Guerrero led off with a walk and scored on Bo Bichette’s hard-hit double to centre field.
Bichette went 4 for 4 in the Blue Jays’ 12-hit attack.
Berrios’s game ended after he surrendered a leadoff homer to DeJong in the seventh and walked the next batter. Yimi Garcia set down the next three White Sox.
Jansen smashed his fifth homer off reliever Jordan Leasure, a two-run shot with two out to left field in the seventh inning, and supplied a two-run single in the eighth.
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REHAB REPORT
Blue Jays manager John Schneider was pleased with the progress of injured pitchers Chad Green (right shoulder) and Bowden Francis (right forearm) with Triple-A Buffalo.
Both expect to pitch again on Wednesday. If they don’t experience setbacks, they could return to the Blue Jays later in the week.
ON DECK
Lefty Yusei Kikuchi (2-3) will start for the Blue Jays in the middle of the three-game series with the White Sox on Tuesday evening. Southpaw Garrett Crochet (4-4) will take the mound for Chicago.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 20, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press