With their eight-game losing streak over, the visiting Chicago White Sox will aim to carry the momentum into Saturday afternoon and clinch their three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The White Sox were coming off a disheartening doubleheader loss at home to the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday, but they came out with more energy than the Blue Jays on Friday night. They scored all of their runs in the first three innings on their way to a 7-1 victory in the series opener.
The Blue Jays, who had been on a 12-2 run, have dropped five of their last seven games, including the past two by a combined score of 16-6.
Toronto is scheduled to start Jose Berrios (2-3, 3.81 ERA) on Saturday.
After going through seven pitchers on Friday, the Blue Jays would be pleased if Berrios could go deep into the game. The right-hander is 14-6 with a 3.16 ERA in 25 career starts against the White Sox.
Aaron Civale (1-3, 4.67) is scheduled to make his second start for the White Sox since his acquisition in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. He is 2-3 with a 5.11 ERA in five career starts against the Blue Jays.
It did not help the Blue Jays’ bullpen on Friday for the rest of the series when Spencer Turnbull allowed four runs in two-plus innings and made only 45 pitches.
Turnbull was making his first start for Toronto as an opener after two relief appearances. He was signed last month and had his pitch count built up in the minors. The series opener was slated to be a bullpen game, but more was expected from Turnbull.
“We know he’s thrown 80 pitches in the minors and can offer that,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “But at the same time, you’re in the business of winning games every single night. It’s up to him to dictate what we’re going to do.”
The White Sox also had a bullpen game when Davis Martin, who was scheduled to start Friday, was put on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain.
That left Grant Taylor to be the opener. He had a perfect first inning, and Tyler Alexander took over to go four scoreless innings in a valuable performance. As a result, the White Sox used five pitchers.
Both teams made several moves on Friday that already have influenced the series.
The White Sox also put reliever Cam Booser on the 15-day injured list with a left shoulder strain and promoted pitchers Wikelman Gonzalez from Triple-A Charlotte and Jacob Palisch from Double-A Birmingham.
“They’re going to fill a really big need for us; both of them we like in multi-inning roles out of the bullpen,” White Sox manager Will Venable said.
Gonzalez was 5-0 with a 2.75 ERA in 12 relief appearances since joining Charlotte from Birmingham on April 29, and Palisch was 4-1 with a 1.19 ERA in 15 outings (seven starts) with Birmingham.
Gonzalez made his major league debut on Friday, allowing one run, one hit and two walks with two strikeouts in two innings.
The Blue Jays reinstated outfielder Nathan Lukes (concussion) and reliever Nick Sandlin (right lat strain) from the injured list. They optioned reliever Justin Bruihl and outfielder Will Robertson to Triple-A Buffalo.
Lukes started in left field on Friday and was 1-for-4. Sandlin pitched the sixth inning and worked around a leadoff double.
–Field Level Media
