Blue Jays 3, White Sox 1
TORONTO -- R.A. Dickey gave up two hits in six innings and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Thursday night to salvage a split in the four-game series.
Dickey (2-2) needed only 64 pitches, allowing one walk, before coming out in favor of right-handed reliever Esmil Rogers to open the seventh before a crowd of 18,015 at Rogers Centre.
Dickey was visited at the mound with two out in the sixth by the trainer and manager John Gibbons but stayed in the game to finish the inning.
The right-handed knuckleballer, acquired in an offseason trade with the New York Mets, was removed as a precaution because of neck and back tightness.
White Sox left-hander Chris Sale (1-2) allowed four hits, one walk and three runs (two earned) while striking out six in seven innings.
Casey Janssen pitched the ninth to post his fifth save.
Edwin Encarnacion, Munenori Kawasaki and Rajai Davis each drove in a run for the Blue Jays (7-9), who had lost the two previous games to the White Sox (7-9) after taking the series opener on Monday.
White Sox left fielder Dayan Viciedo left a game with an injury during his at-bat in eighth. Jordan Danks batted for him with a 1-and-1 count and struck out against Rogers.
Left-hander Aaron Loup replaced Rogers after Alexei Ramirez singled with one out in the eight. He retired pinch-hitter Tyler Greene on a fly to right but allowed a run-scoring double to Tyler Flowers.
The Blue Jays scored a run in the first after Davis led off with a single, stole second and third, and came home on Encarnacion's two-out single.
Dickey retired the first 11 batters he faced with five strikeouts before former Blue Jay Alex Rios singled to center in the fourth. Rios took second on a wild pitch and Paul Konerko walked. But Dickey struck out Adam Dunn to end the inning.
The Blue Jays increased the lead to 3-0 in the fifth. Emilio Bonifacio was hit by a pitch. He scooted to third on Sale's wild pickoff throw to first and scored when Dunn flubbed Munenori Kawsaki's grounder to first with the infield in. Kawasaki reached first base. With one out, Davis doubled to the gap in left center to score Kawasaki.
NOTES: Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (back spasms) missed his fourth consecutive game, but manager John Gibbons said before the game that he is making progress and could return to the lineup soon. ... White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper (diverticulitis) will rejoin the team for the opener of a 10-game homestand on Friday against the Minnesota Twins. He was taken to a hospital on April 9 and returned to Chicago on Saturday. ... The White Sox entered the game batting .181 with runners in scoring position, 14th in the American League. ... The Blue Jays entered the game batting .185 with runners in scoring position, 13th in the AL. ... The Blue Jays open a three-game series against the New York Yankees on Friday, with right-hander Brandon Morrow (0-1, 4.60 ERA) facing left-hander Andy Pettitte (2-0, 1.20). ... The White Sox send out right-hander Jake Peavy (2-1, 3.41) against right-hander Vance Worley (0-2, 10.50) in Friday's opener of a three-game series against the Twins.
