White Sox fall to Blue Jays for fifth straight loss
TORONTO (AP) — Chris Bassitt pitched 6 1/3 innings before leaving because of a sore lower back, Cavan Biggio hit a three-run home run and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Chicago White Sox 5-2 on Monday night.
Bassitt (3-2) called manager John Schneider and the trainer to the mound in the seventh after bouncing his first pitch to Luis Robert Jr. Zach Pop came on and finished the inning.
Robert made a spectacular catch in center field to take a home run away from Toronto slugger Matt Chapman, but little else went right for the struggling White Sox. Chicago (7-16) has lost five straight, 10 of 12 and 13 of 17.
Bassitt signed a three-year, $63 million contract with Toronto last December. He allowed two runs and three hits to win back-to-back starts for the first time with the Blue Jays.
Pop got four outs and Tim Mayza struck out pinch hitter Gavin Sheets to strand a runner at first base for the final out of the eighth. Jordan Romano finished for his eighth save in nine chances.
Chicago's Andrew Vaughn opened the scoring with a two-run double off Bassitt in the third, but the Blue Jays answered with a four-run fourth off White Sox right-hander Lance Lynn.
Robert soared over the low wall in deep center to deny Chapman for the second out of the inning, but the next five Blue Jays batters reached safely. Whit Merrifield hit an RBI double before Biggio followed with his second home run.
Winless in five starts to begin the season, Lynn (0-3) allowed four runs and five hits in five innings.
Chapman made it 5-2 with an RBI double off Kenyan Middleton in the seventh. It was Chapman's AL-leading 11th double of the season and his 16th extra-base hit.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: SS Tim Anderson (sprained left knee) took grounders without his knee brace. … Chicago activated right-hander Joe Kelly (strained right groin) off the 15-day injured list and put RHP Lucas Giolito on the bereavement list. Manager Pedro Grifol said Giolito is expected to make his next start. Giolito started Sunday's loss at Tampa Bay.
Blue Jays: Put RHP Adam Cimber on the 15-day injured list because of a strained muscle in his upper back and recalled RHP Nate Pearson from Triple-A Buffalo.
NUMBERS GAME
Lynn's outing actually lowered his ERA slightly. It dropped from 7.59 to 7.52.
UP NEXT
RHP Mike Clevinger (2-3, 3.26) starts for the White Sox Tuesday against Blue Jays RHP José Berríos (1-3, 6.23).
