Blue Jays survive the slugfest, top White Sox in Chicago

The balls were flying at U.S. Cellular Field on Saturday afternoon as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Chicago White Sox 10-8 in a back-and-forth slugfest.

Toronto got on the board early, beginning with back-to-back singles from Devon Travis and Josh Donaldson. Edwin Encarnacion‘s double brought in Travis to put the Blue Jays up 1-0, but Donaldson was gunned down at home trying to score from first.

Michael Saunders followed up with a double of his own, bringing home Encarnacion, before Saunders was brought home on a Troy Tulowitzki double to make it 3-0.

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Travis was back at it in the next inning, launching a two-run home run to left field that the White Sox outfielders didn’t even both pursuing. With the bases loaded in the fourth, Josh Donaldson took an RBI walk before Encarnacion drove in another pair with a bloop single.

R.A. Dickey allowed four home runs in five and a third innings, giving up back-to-back-to-back home runs in the second, beginning with a pair of wall-scrapers from former Jays Brett Lawrie and Dioner Navarro in the 2nd inning. Lawrie came back for his second homer, a no-doubter, in the fourth.

Gavin Floyd was first out of the bullpen for the Blue Jays with Lawrie due up and two runners in scoring position. An RBI single from Lawrie made it 8-5, but soon after, Floyd called for the trainer after throwing a pitch and was removed from the game. Expect updates on his status this evening, the initial diagnosis is “shoulder tightness”. Jesse Chavez took over and escaped the inning.

Drew Storen opened up the seventh by allowing a home run to Tim Anderson, pulling Chicago within two at 8-6. Jason Grilli was welcomed the same way in the eighth, giving up a leadoff solo shot to Alex Avila to make it 8-7.

Following an Edwin Encarnacion RBI double and Tulowitzki RBI single, Roberto Osuna entered with a 10-7 lead in the final frame. Not even he was safe from the home run ball, though, allowing a solo shot to Adam Eaton before locking down the save.

Justin Smoak was held out of the lineup again as he deals with a sore knee, but the Blue Jays do not believe that the injury will keep him out for any extended period of time. Donaldson started at DH in his place with Ryan Goins taking over at third base.