White Sox can't top Blue Jays in high-scoring affair

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The White Sox ended the first half with a clunker on Sundayafternoon. They closed a strong and surprising first half of play withan 11-9 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in front of 27,190 at U.S. CellularField. Toronto avoided a sweep by blasting four home runs and stranding 10 WhiteSox base runners in a three-hour, 48-minute game that saw Robin Ventura ejected inthe ninth inning for arguing balls and strikes.The White Sox fell behind early and rallied all afternoonbut never could overtake the Blue Jays despite big days from Alex Rios andKevin Youkilis. Rios went 3-for-5 with a homer, two doubles and four RBIs.Youkilis was 3-for-5 with an RBI.Alejandro De Aza struck out in the ninth inning againstCasey Janssen with the tying runs aboard.The White Sox finished 4-for-17 with runners in scoringposition as they stranded two runners on in the third, seventh and ninthinnings.Ventura was ejected in the ninth inning after a long day ofdisputes with the umpiring crew. Rios didnt like a strike call from plate ump D.J. Reyburnin the eighth inning. Ventura also previously argued a call when Colby Rasmuswas allowed to score all the way from first base on Jose Bautistas ground-ruledouble because of fan interference. The White Sox also seemed upset with Reyburns wide strikezone. White Sox hitters struck out looking five times.The finale began ominously when White Sox starter DylanAxelrod (0-2) walked Blue Jays leadoff man Rajai Davis. Colby Rasmus followedwith a two-run homer, one of two allowed by Axelrod in the inning. EdwinEncarnacion also blasted a two-run homer to put Toronto ahead 4-0 beforeAxelrod recorded an out.Axelrod, who pitched on three days rest, didnt ever settledown.He yielded a run in the second inning on Rasmus RBI doubleand two more in the third on Kelly Johnsons two-run homer to right. Axelrod allowed seven earned runs and six hits in threeinnings.His counterpart, Torontos Brett Cecil, didnt fare muchbetter. The left-hander served up a three-run homer to Alex Rios inthe first inning and had runners on base in each of his four-plus frames. Cecilwas staked leads of 4-0 and 8-3 but didnt qualify for the victory as the WhiteSox chased him in the fifth.

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