The Chicago White Sox can make a step toward improving their road record Sunday afternoon in the rubber match of a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Despite a breakthrough season that has taken them to first-place contenders in the American League Central, the White Sox fell to 20-29 on the road with a 1-0 loss to the Blue Jays on Saturday. The White Sox are 1-7-1 over their past nine road series.
Chicago won the series opener 12-4 on Friday to set up the possibility of a good six-game road trip.
“Especially in front of a crowd like that in a stadium like this,” Chicago outfielder Braden Montgomery said after he had four RBIs on Friday. “We know we’ve had to pick it up on the road. And so that’s a good start to the second half. And we plan on keeping it rolling.”
For their part, the Blue Jays need to improve their home record of 25-26.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has six home runs for the season, all on the road. He came close Saturday to hitting his first homer at home with a blast to center, but it hit the wall for his 15th double of the season. He has eight extra-base hits, all doubles, at home where his OPS is .689.
He skipped the All-Star Game to rest a cranky back, although he hit two homers on the road July 8-11 leading into the break.
“It feels better now, but I’m not going to stop doing all my treatment, my rehab, my recovery,” Guerrero said. “Just more exercising my core, and I think that’s what’s helping me out and why I’m feeling better.”
After his double, Guerrero scored when George Springer eked a ground-ball RBI single up the middle.
Toronto right-hander Shane Bieber, meanwhile, pitched six strong innings to outduel Chicago’s Davis Martin.
“We need (Bieber) and Vlad,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “They’re why we won today as well as the pitching, but I think (Springer) understands when it’s like time to hit the gas and say, ‘OK, we gotta go.’ The season’s getting a little small and George knows how to dial it.”
Toronto is scheduled to start right-hander Trey Yesavage (4-4, 3.72 ERA), who will be facing the White Sox for the first time, on Sunday.
Sean Burke (6-4, 3.41) is slated to start for the White Sox in the series finale. In two career games (one start) against the Blue Jays, the right-hander is 0-1 with a 5.73. The start came this season when he allowed one run in six innings in a no-decision.
White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas was in the lineup Saturday after being hit on the hand by a pitch in the eighth inning Friday and removed from the game.
He doubled in the first inning on Saturday.
“He was fine,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “He didn’t come out of the game because of the hit by pitch. That was kind of coincidental. We just wanted to get him off his feet because of a long game on the turf, and he was in the All-Star Game.”
Toronto’s Ernie Clement was 0-for-4 on Saturday to end his hitting streak at eight games. He was 12-for-34 (.353) during the streak.
The 1992-93 Blue Jays’ back-to-back World Series champions were honored in a pregame ceremony on Saturday. A 15-foot statue of Joe Carter after hitting his World Series-winning walk-off homer in 1993 was unveiled outside the Rogers Centre.
–Field Level Media
