TORONTO – Blue Jays coach Charlie Montoyo had two questions about his media availability after the game Tuesday night when it took him a few seconds to adjust his uniform.
“I’m still sweating,” he said with a smile.
Sweating was understandable as his team had managed to withstand another victory.
Alejandro Kirk hit a pair of two-run homers to propel Toronto to a 6-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox and help the Blue Jays extend their winning streak to six games of the season.
Closer Jordan Romano, Toronto’s fifth relay of the night, gave up the singles in a row before reaching his 16th stop. The Blue Jays lead the major leagues with 15 career wins this season.
“It’s a little stressful, I’m not going to lie,” said Toronto incumbent Kevin Gausman. “But it’s good. I think it will really benefit us when it comes to times of crisis (later in the year).”
Kirk sank Chicago starter Lucas Giolito (3-2) in the second inning and reconnected to Toronto’s fifth of four runs. He also had a single to increase his baptism average to .304.
“He’s not hitting and he puts the ball in play,” Montoyo said. “I’m not surprised because I’ve seen it before (it’s hit hard). So I’ll do it again.”
It was the third home game in Kirk’s home run. Toronto (28-20) has won 10 of its last 13 matches.
“These guys never go down and it seems like every time the opposing team takes the lead, they know right away that they have to get back on the horse and get those races back,” said Gausman, who allowed three wins in five innings.
“As a starting pitcher, you always feel like you’re in the game.”
Andrew Vaughn, who had a maximum of four hits, hit a solo homer to Gausman (5-3) in the first inning. Toronto clean-up hitter Teoscar Hernandez doubled to second and scored with Kirk’s rainbow homer.
Chicago (23-24) scored a pair in the fifth inning for a short 3-2 lead. George Springer provoked Toronto’s concentration in the lower half with a control flare that floated in the shallow right field.
Bo Bichette sent him to third with a double and they both scored easily when Hernandez hit a sinking liner that escaped the hands of midfielder Adam Engel.
Kirk then activated a 2-1 throw for his third homer of the season.
“I’m just trying to be more selective and look for the field I want,” he said. “I’m trying not to chase and you’re getting the results I’m looking for.”
Chicago struck out two more runs in the sixth, but missed a golden opportunity to tie the game.
With Reese McGuire in third place and Danny Mendick at the beginning with an out, Yasmani Grandal raised a ball in the left field.
The ball was deep enough to score a goal, but Lourdes Gurriel Jr. threw to second base to get Mendick to try to score the play. Second baseman Cavan Biggio applied the label for the double play before McGuire crossed the plate.
“He came in and apologized,” White Sox coach Tony LaRussa said of Mendick. “I said,‘ First of all, scoring this play is a good play, but you have a throw right in front of you. If the launch goes there, you just have to stop. “
“He stops, the race marks. You can’t be tagged around here.”
Bichette made a good play to help put out a Chicago threat in the eighth inning. With two runners in place, he made a setback to a Grandal helicopter and made a hard throw that Guerrero squeezed to first base after a jump for the final out.
Romano, of Markham, Ontario, managed to get Jake Burger to sink in a 5-4 double play before putting out Gavin Sheets to end the game.
The attendance announced was 25,424 and the match took three hours and 24 minutes to play.
ANDERSON OUT
White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson was added to the 10-day injury list due to a distension in his right groin. It is expected to be lost for at least three weeks.
Chicago activated gardener Luis Robert from the COVID-19 injured roster and placed right-handers Kendall Graveman and Dylan Cease on the restricted roster.
The White Sox also removed right-hander Kyle Crick from the triple A Charlotte and released left-hander Dallas Keuchel, who received an unconditional waiver on Monday.
The list moves
Before the game, the Blue Jays remembered right-hander Trent Thornton from the triple A Buffalo and appointed Ryan Borucki on the left for the assignment.
GOING UP
The game started a six-game game for the Blue Jays, who are 15-8 at home this season.
Leftist Hyun Jin Ryu (2-0, 5.48) is scheduled to start Wednesday night against Chicago right-hander Michael Kopech (1-1, 1.29). The teams will close out the three-game series with a Thursday morning.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on May 31, 2022.
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