Tyler Flowers hits three-run homer as White Sox stomp Blue Jays 7-0

TORONTO – Catcher Tyler Flowers hit a three-run home run and Jose Quintana pitched 6 2-3 innings to earn his first win of the season as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 7-0 on Wednesday.

Alex Rios also homered as Quintana (1-0) held the Blue Jays to five hits and two walks while striking out seven in his third start of the season before a crowd of 15,684 at Rogers Centre.

Toronto left-hander J.A. Happ (2-1) allowed six hits, including two home runs, and five runs in 5 2-3 innings to take his first loss in three starts and end a string of four consecutive quality starts by the Blue Jays.

The White Sox (7-8) have won two in a row after losing the opener of the four-game series on Monday. The Blue Jays (6-9) will try for a split on Thursday.

Chicago took a 3-0 lead with two out in the second when Flowers hit his third homer of the season on a 2-1 fastball that he drove to right centre. It followed a two-out double by Dayan Viciedo and a walk to Alexei Ramirez.

Munenori Kawasaki and Rajai Davis singled with two out in the third for Toronto’s first base runners. But Quintana struck out Melky Cabrera to end the inning.

The White Sox went ahead 4-0 in the fourth on doubles by Paul Konerko and Ramirez.

Konerko extended his hit streak to nine games with a leadoff double to right. Davis had his glove on the ball but could not hold it as he ran into the wall.

Happ struck out Adam Dunn and Viciedo before Ramirez drove a double to left centre.

The Blue Jays had another threat when Kawasaki walked with two out in the fifth after fouling off five pitches with a 3-2 count and took third on a double by Davis. But Cabrera grounded out to end the inning.

Rios, a former Blue Jay, led off the sixth with his fifth homer of the season, hitting a 1-1 slider against the facing of the second deck in left centre. Viciedo’s two-out single chased Happ and brought in right-hander Ramon Ortiz.

Ortiz ended the sixth but gave up two runs in the seventh. Flowers, Tyler Greene and Alejandro De Aza singled and Jeff Keppinger hit a sacrifice fly. Rios walked to reload the bases and Konerko hit a sacrifice fly.

Quintana was replaced by right-hander Jesse Crain of Toronto with two out in the seventh after Kawasaki’s second single of the game.

NOTES: Blue Jays right-fielder Jose Bautista missed his third game in a row with a sore back. … The White Sox recalled outfielder Jordan Danks from triple-A Charlotte and sent right-handed pitcher Deunte Heath to Charlotte on option. Danks, 26, was batting .333 (17-for-51) with two homers and five runs batted in at Charlotte. He entered Wednesday’s game to play centre field in the eighth and singled in the ninth. … Toronto right-hander R.A. Dickey (1-2, 5.82 earned-run average) will try for his second win in a row Thursday in the finale of the four-game series when he opposes left-hander Chris Sale (1-1, 5.21 ERA).