Whit Merrifield helps Toronto Blue Jays beat Chicago White Sox 5-4 for doubleheader sweep
CHICAGO (AP) — Whit Merrifield played every inning of Toronto’s doubleheader on Thursday. It was a long day, but a very productive one.
Merrifield hit two solo homers and Matt Chapman also connected, helping the Blue Jays top the Chicago White Sox 5-4 on Thursday night to sweep the two games.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two hits and two RBIs for Toronto, including a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning. Fellow All-Star Bo Bichette had four of the team’s 16 hits.
“Total team effort, especially with the bullpen,” manager John Schneider said.
Toronto used a six-run 11th inning to beat the White Sox 6-2 in the opener. George Springer hit a tiebreaking RBI single, and Jordan Romano (4-4) worked the 10th for the win.
The Blue Jays (48-40) completed a season sweep, outscoring Chicago 35-11 in six games. They are 10-2 against the White Sox since the start of last year.
Merrifield and company are looking to build some momentum going into the All-Star break. Next up is a three-game set at Detroit.
“This part of the season can be grueling,” Merrifield said. “But we’re all, pretty professional team in there. We know what our job is when we show up.”
Chicago (37-52) has lost five of six, falling farther back in the lackluster AL Central and increasing the likelihood of a sell-off at the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
The doubleheader was scheduled after Wednesday night’s game was postponed because of rain.
“We’ve got a ton of games left,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “We’ve got to prepare ourselves every day and play baseball. We can’t do anything about these two games here today or the game we played on Tuesday.”
Eloy Jiménez hit a two-run homer for the White Sox in the second game. Tim Anderson had a run-scoring single.
Chicago had a 4-3 lead before Merrifield led off the sixth with his fourth homer, a drive to left-center against Bryan Shaw. It was Merrifield’s fourth career multihomer game.
Bichette singled in the seventh against Nick Padilla (0-1) and scored from first on Guerrero’s drive into the gap in right-center.
Jay Jackson (1-0) got four outs in his first win since July 31, 2021, for San Francisco against Houston. Nate Pearson pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first career save.
“A chance for guys like Jay and Nate to step up, and they did,” Schneider said.
Toronto had one hit in the first game before breaking out against Aaron Bummer (3-2) in the 11th.
Chicago wasted a stellar performance by Lance Lynn, who struck out 11 in seven dominant innings. The White Sox finished with just four hits in the opener.
“Lance was outstanding. We can’t ask for a better start than that,” Grifol said.
Springer gave Toronto a 1-0 lead when he drove in Cavan Biggio with a grounder back up the middle. Bichette, Daulton Varsho and Guerrero followed with three more run-scoring singles, and Biggio capped the big inning with a two-run double.
White Sox rookie Oscar Colás hit an RBI double and scored on Andrew Vaughn’s single in the bottom half. Yimi García replaced Thomas Hatch and got two outs for his first save of the season.
Lynn allowed one hit — Springer’s third-inning single — and walked one. The burly right-hander has 41 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings over his last four starts.
“This has been the worst first half of my career but I’m striking guys out at an elite pace,” he said. “Just got to figure it out how to make it start after start and keep building off it.”
Lynn was matched every step of the way by Jose Berríos, who tossed seven crisp innings. Elvis Andrus singled in the third for Chicago’s only hit off the right-hander.
“Knowing he’s going to pitch for them, I know he likes to compete. He likes to pitch long in the game,” Berríos said of the matchup with Lynn. “So I was trying to do my best, trying to pitch quality pitches.”
Berríos got some help from his defense. Springer robbed Zach Remillard of a hit with a diving grab in right for the second out of the third. Alejandro Kirk threw out Andrus when he attempted to steal second after reaching on an error in the sixth.
MAKING MOVES
Chicago placed right-hander Joe Kelly on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. Padilla was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte, and Jimmy Lambert, another right-hander, was added to the roster as the 27th player.
Toronto added Jackson from Triple-A Buffalo as its 27th man.
Lambert was returned to Charlotte after the doubleheader, and Hatch was optioned to Buffalo.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: 3B Yoán Moncada (lower back inflammation) is expected to begin a rehab assignment after the All-Star break. “He’s doing really well,” Grifol said. … Grifol said RHP Michael Kopech (shoulder inflammation) will be available right after the break, and RHP Mike Clevinger (right biceps inflammation) is just a little behind him. “Clevinger, we’re hoping maybe within that week, if not maybe the second week,” Grifol said.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: RHP Alek Manoah (1-7, 6.36 ERA) starts Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Detroit. It’s the first big league game for Manoah since he was sent to the minors last month. RHP Alex Faedo (1-3, 5.54 ERA) pitches for the Tigers.
White Sox: RHP Dylan Cease (3-3, 4.10 ERA) starts Friday night at home against St. Louis. LHP Jordan Montgomery (6-7, 3.28 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals.
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