The boys finally gave Jake Peavy some run support.
Peavy snapped a four-start losing streak Friday, allowing one run on five hits over 7 13 innings. But unlike his previous four starts -- in which the White Sox scored a grand total of two runs -- Peavy received three runs of support in the fifth, and the Sox went on to beat Toronto 4-2.
Toronto got off to a good start against Peavy, with Brett Lawrie and Jose Bautista singling to put two on with one out. But the Blue Jays attempted a double steal on a 3-2 offering to Edwin Encarnacion, who struck out and Bautista was thrown out to end the threat.
Adam Lind homered to lead off the second for Toronto, their only tally of the game. Through three innings, Peavy had thrown 56 pitches.
Peavy battled back, though, and held Toronto scoreless in five straight frames before being pulled with one out in the eighth. He threw 115 pitches, striking out seven with two walks and lowering his season ERA to 2.85 in the process.
The Sox rallied in the fifth, with Dayan Viciedo leading the inning off with a double. He was brought home on a single by Alexei Ramirez, who advanced to third on a throwing error by Blue Jays left fielder Rajai Davis. He scored on a bloop single by Gordon Beckham, who advanced to second on another error and later scored on a Kevin Youkilis single. For Youkilis, it was his 11th RBI in 11 games since joining the White Sox.
A solo home run by A.J. Pierzynski in the sixth increased the Sox lead to 4-1, where it stayed through the end of the game. Pierzynski's blast was No. 16 on the season, leaving him only two shy of his career high with only a pair of games left until the All-Star break.
MLB
Pitching for the third consecutive day, Addison Reed allowed one run in the ninth but earned his 13th save of the season.
The win was the fourth straight by the White Sox, who now sit three games ahead of Cleveland and 4 12 ahead of Detroit, which moved to to .500 for the first time since May 15. And with the win, played in front of an announced crowd of 27,129, the White Sox will enter the All-Star break in first place.