Aug 5, 2006, 14:30 GMT
- Still eight games behind the front-running Detroit Tigers in the American League Central, the Chicago White Sox try to pick up yet another win against a slumping Toronto club this afternoon in the second of a three-game set from the Rogers Centre.
Yesterday both teams had their aces on the hill with Jon Garland getting the win over Roy Halladay in a 6-4 triumph for the visiting Sox.
Garland, who allowed a three-run home run to Troy Glaus in the first inning, regained his composure to notch his eight straight win. Garland finished with just two strikeouts over six innings, but that was still enough to keep him from losing for the first time in his last 10 starts.
A.J. Pierzynski connected on a three-run home run in the fifth inning while Jim Thome went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored and Paul Konerko ended up 3-for-3 with two walks and a run scored for the Sox who have won five of their last seven outings.
Glaus homered twice and drove in all four runs for the Blue Jays, but that simply wasn't enough as the team lost its sixth straight for the first time since the 2003 season.
Halladay had his five-game win streak halted as he gave up five runs on 10 hits, striking out seven and walking three in just over six innings of action.
In an effort to pull his career record to an even .500, Javier Vazquez takes the hill for the White Sox this afternoon.
The right-hander, who is 98-99 since reaching the majors, has lost his last two decisions, the most recent being an 8-7 setback to Baltimore on Sunday. In that game Vazquez surrendered five runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out three over 5 1/3 innings of work.
In his only other appearance this season versus Toronto, Vazquez was touched for seven runs on nine hits over six innings and suffered the loss.
As for the Jays, they put fresh-faced Dustin McGowan on the mound to counter. The 24-year old Georgia native was only recently called back up to the big leagues, with his most recent action taking place in a 7-2 loss to the Yankees on Wednesday.
McGowan failed to retire a single batter as he gave up a hit and walked two, leading to a couple of earned runs.
For his career McGowan is 2-4 with a 7.16 ERA in 20 games.
Chicago, which is 30-24 on the road this season, has watched Pierzynski collect 13 hits in his last 23 at-bats to raise his season average to a team- best .321. Thome, since coming over from the Phillies in an off-season trade, is tops on the White Sox with 33 home runs, 83 RBI, 80 runs scored and a 1.039 OPS.
Glaus paces Toronto in several offensive categories entering the weekend as he has logged 30 home runs, 84 RBI and has scored 76 runs. Vernon Wells checks in with a team-best .323 batting average, has 11 steals and an OPS of .988.
With the win on Friday the White Sox are now ahead in the season series by a count of 4-3 and are 8-5 since the beginning of last year against Toronto. The Jays, who are third in the American League East now 9 1/2 games behind the Yankees, are 35-22 at home this year.
© 2006 The Sports Network
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