By Canadian Press

Manoah in form, Hernandez homers as Jays beat White Sox 8-3 for 8th straight victory

Jun 2, 2022 | 4:26 PM

TORONTO — Teoscar Hernandez homered and Alek Manoah threw 7 2/3 strong innings as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Chicago White Sox 8-3 on Thursday to extend their winning streak to eight games.

Raimel Tapia scored twice to stake Toronto to an early lead before Hernandez hit a two-run shot off Johnny Cueto in the sixth inning. Santiago Espinal had three RBIs — including a two-run single in Toronto’s four-run eighth inning — to help the Blue Jays sweep the three-game series. 

Manoah, who retired 16 batters in a row after escaping a first-inning jam, allowed six hits, three earned runs and a walk. He had five strikeouts.

He was pulled in the eighth after Luis Robert’s two-run double. Yoan Moncada hit a two-out RBI single off sidearmer Adam Cimber to make it a one-run game before Jose Abreu flew out.

Cavan Biggio drove in Hernandez to help key Toronto’s late rally and Bo Bichette chipped in with an RBI single. The Blue Jays batted around in the frame before Jimmy Lambert fanned Hernandez with the bases loaded.

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The Blue Jays (30-20) have won 12 of their last 15 games while the White Sox (23-26) have dropped six of eight. Toronto outhit Chicago 12-7.

Chicago took advantage of some fielding miscues to put their first two batters of the game on base. Bradley Zimmer couldn’t squeeze Leury Garcia’s sinking liner in centre field and Matt Chapman botched the transfer after gloving a Robert chopper.

Both plays were ruled base hits. Manoah issued a two-out walk to Gavin Sheets to load the bases and worked a full count to Yasmani Grandal before freezing him with a slider to escape unscathed. 

Tapia was rewarded for his hustle in the third inning by scoring an unearned run. 

He doubled down the right-field line and kept going after a throwing error by Sheets, barely beating the throw at third base. He scored when Espinal grounded into a double play.

Tapia fouled a ball off his right calf in the fifth inning but stayed in the game. After reaching on a fielder’s choice, he tested the leg by rounding the bases on an Espinal double and made it 2-0 with a headfirst slide at home plate.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., led off the sixth with a double and scored when Hernandez turned on a first-pitch offering for his third homer of the year. 

Manoah (6-1), meanwhile, was in full control until giving up a single to Abreu in the seventh inning. He promptly got a double-play and fanned Grandal. 

Reliever Trent Thornton worked the ninth inning for Toronto. 

Cueto (0-2) allowed three earned runs and seven hits over six innings while striking out five. It was his first start at Rogers Centre since Game 3 of the 2015 American League Championship Series when he pitched for the Kansas City Royals.

Announced attendance was 25,250 and the game took three hours five minutes to play. 

FOREARM FLARE-UP 

Blue Jays left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu was added to the 15-day injured list Thursday due to left forearm inflammation. He spent almost a month on the IL earlier this season with the same issue.

Right-hander Jeremy Beasley had his contract selected from triple-A Buffalo. The White Sox added right-hander Jimmy Lambert to their active roster from triple-A Charlotte. 

COMING UP

The Blue Jays will close out their six-game homestand with a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins.

Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (2-1, 3.48 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday’s opener. The Twins have yet to name their starter.

Toronto’s Jose Berrios (3-2, 5.62 ERA) is tabbed to pitch Saturday and Kevin Gausman (5-3, 2.51) is set to start on Sunday. 

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2022. 

Follow @GregoryStrongCP on Twitter.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press