CHICAGO – Josh Harrison hit a game-ending single with two outs in the 12th inning, and the Chicago White Sox topped the Toronto Blue Jays for a wild 7-6 victory on Tuesday night.
Luis Robert matched a career high with four RBIs and made a sliding grab in center field in the top of the 12th, helping the White Sox (33-33) win for the sixth time in eight games. The reigning AL Central champions returned to .500 for the first time since a 5-4 victory over the crosstown Cubs on May 29.
Vince Velasquez (3-3) worked two innings for his first win since May 6. He committed a balk before his first pitch, setting up Raimel Tapia’s tiebreaking single in the 11th, but retired the Blue Jays in order in the 12th.
With runners on first and second in the bottom half, Harrison drove in Jose Abreu with a liner to center off Matt Gage (0-1).
Alejandro Kirk homered and drove in two runs for Toronto, which lost for the fifth time in six games. Bradley Zimmer made a memorable catch in center field, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit an RBI double in the 10th.
Blue Jays slugger George Springer was removed in the eighth inning because of right elbow discomfort.
The White Sox nearly wasted a stellar start by Dylan Cease, who matched a career high with 11 strikeouts in six dominant innings. The White Sox went 6 for 21 with runners in scoring position and left 14 runners on base.
Chicago trailed 4-2 before Robert hit a two-run single off Jordan Romano with two outs in the ninth, delighting the crowd of 20,529 on a hot, muggy night at Guaranteed Rate Field.
After Abreu singled, putting runners on the corners, AJ Pollock hit a liner to center. But Zimmer, who entered as a defensive replacement in the eighth, made a diving grab, sending the game to extra innings.
Cease was working on a no-hitter before Lourdes Gurriel Jr. led off the sixth with an infield single to shortstop. The right-hander retired his next three batters, striking out Bichette looking on his 101st pitch.
Toronto then went to work against Chicago’s bullpen.
Kirk hit his seventh homer in the seventh against Jimmy Lambert. The Blue Jays grabbed a 4-2 lead with three runs in the eighth, sending nine batters to the plate.
With one out and runners on second and third, Cavan Biggio hit a looper up the middle that eluded hustling shortstop Tim Anderson in short center field. Biggo’s RBI single off Davis Martin tied it at 2.
Bo Bichette then drove in Gurriel with a chopper to Anderson, and consecutive walks to Guerrero and Kirk gave Toronto a 4-2 lead.
The Blue Jays’ rally got Kevin Gausman off the hook for what would have been a hard-luck loss. The right-hander struck out seven while working six innings of two-run ball.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: LHP Tayler Saucedo (right hip discomfort) made a rehab appearance with Triple-A Buffalo. Saucedo allowed a single and then walked two batters before he was ejected by plate umpire Lew Williams.
White Sox: 3B Yoan Moncada (strained right hamstring) plans to start hitting on the field in the next couple of days. He was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday. “I don’t think it’s anything serious or anything that’s going to take a long time,” Moncada said through a translator. “The muscle just kind of strained. It isn’t a bad one. I think I’ll be OK after the IL stint.” … RHP Liam Hendriks (right forearm strain) threw Monday and planned to have another session Tuesday. “Everything is exactly where we are expecting it to be,” he said. … OF Eloy Jimenez (torn hamstring tendon) restarted his rehab at Triple-A Charlotte. Serving as the designated hitter, he went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.
UP NEXT
Right-handers Ross Stripling (3-2, 3.28 ERA) and Lucas Giolito (4-3, 4.78) pitch in the series finale Wednesday afternoon. Stripling is 3-1 with a sparkling 1.04 ERA in four June appearances for Toronto. Giolito was tagged for eight runs and seven hits in five-plus innings during Chicago’s 13-3 loss at Houston on Friday night.
