Flowers Hits 3-Run Homer As White Sox Top Jays 7-0
TORONTO (AP) — Tyler Flowers hit a three-run homer and Jose Quintana pitched 6 2-3 innings to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 7-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night.
Alex Rios also homered to back Quintana (1-0), who held the Blue Jays to five hits with two walks while striking out seven in his third start of the season.
J.A. Happ (2-1) allowed six hits, including two homers, and five runs in 5 2-3 innings to end a string of four consecutive quality starts by the Blue Jays' rotation.
The White Sox have won two straight after dropping the opener of the four-game series on Monday.
Following a two-out double by Dayan Viciedo and a walk to Alexei Ramirez in the second, the White Sox took a 3-0 lead when Flowers sent a 2-1 fastball into the seats in right-center for his third homer of the season.
Munenori Kawasaki and Rajai Davis singled with two outs in the third for Toronto's first base runners, but Quintana struck out Melky Cabrera to end the inning.
The White Sox went ahead 4-0 in the fourth on doubles by Paul Konerko and Ramirez.
Konerko extended his hit streak to nine games with a leadoff double to right. Davis had his glove on the ball but could not hold it as he ran into the wall. Happ then struck out Adam Dunn and Viciedo before Ramirez drove a double to left center.
The Blue Jays threatened again when Kawasaki walked with two outs in the fifth after fouling off five pitches with a full count. He took third on a double by Davis, but Cabrera grounded out to end the inning.
Rios, a former Blue Jays player, led off the sixth with his fifth homer of the season, sending a 1-1 slider against the facing of the second deck in left-center. Viciedo's two-out single chased Happ, bringing on right-hander Ramon Ortiz.
Ortiz ended the sixth but gave up two runs in the seventh. Flowers, Tyler Greene and Alejandro De Aza singled and Jeff Keppinger hit a sacrifice fly. Rios walked to reload the bases and Konerko followed with a sacrifice fly.
Quintana was replaced by right-hander Jesse Crain with two outs in the seventh after Kawasaki's second single of the game.
NOTES: Blue Jays OF Jose Bautista missed his third game in a row with a sore back. ... The White Sox recalled OF Jordan Danks from Triple-A Charlotte and optioned RHP Deunte Heath to Charlotte. The 26-year-old Danks was batting .333 (17-for-51) with two homers and five RBIs at Charlotte. He came on to play center Wednesday in the eighth and singled in the ninth. ... Toronto RHP R.A. Dickey (1-2, 5.82 ERA) will oppose LHP Chris Sale (1-1, 5.21 ERA) in Thursday's series finale.
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