Bo Bichette smashed the first pitch he saw for a solo home run and the Toronto Blue Jays never looked back in a 7-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday afternoon.
Myles Straw and Nathan Lukes each had an RBI single in a three-run second inning for Toronto (41-35) after George Springer scored on a throwing error. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. tacked on another run in the seventh with a home run to deep left field.
Davis Schneider added more insurance with a two-run double in the eighth.
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Jose Berrios (3-3) was solid, allowing one unearned run on two hits and three walks over 7 2/3 innings, striking out five. Yariel Rodriguez and Chad Green combined for 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.
Andrew Benintendi hit into a fielder's choice in the sixth inning, with Miguel Vargas evading catcher Alejandro Kirk's tag to score for Chicago (24-53) after Guerrero threw straight home instead of tagging the hitter.
Aaron Civale (1-4) pitched seven innings, allowing five runs on nine hits and a walk, striking out two. Jake Palisch allowed two more runs in his one inning of relief.
Takeaways
Blue Jays: After seven relievers pitched in Toronto's 7-1 loss on Friday — a scheduled bullpen day — it was critical that Berrios go deep into the game to get the bullpen some rest. He delivered, throwing 95 pitches and earning a standing ovation from the 41,488 fans at Rogers Centre when he left the game in the eighth inning.
White Sox: Despite allowing five runs, Civale actually managed to keep the scoring relatively low after coughing up nine hits and issuing a walk. His 96-pitch performance was also a relief to a beleaguered Chicago bullpen that has been tasked with closing, and sometimes starting, many games this season.
Key moment
Springer's baserunning from first to third continues to be a strength this season, with his speed on the basepaths forcing right-fielder Austin Slater's throw to third in the second inning. The ball went into the netting, allowing Springer to score and Ernie Clement to advance to third.
Key stat
Bichette needed 16 games to hit his first home run of the season, finally connecting on May 3. His solo shot in the first inning on Saturday was his 11th of the season, most on the Blue Jays.
Up next
Chris Bassitt (7-3) gets the start as Toronto finishes its three-game series with Chicago with a Sunday matinee.
The White Sox had not yet determined who their starting pitcher would be.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2025.
