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Chris Sale guides Chicago White Sox to fifth win in row

By Larry Millson, The Sports Xchange
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale. UPI/Brian Kersey
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale. UPI/Brian Kersey | License Photo

TORONTO -- Chris Sale is off to a perfect start this season, and the Chicago White Sox are not far behind.

The White Sox left-hander pitched eight innings, Avisail Garcia, Dioner Navarro and Adam Eaton hit home runs, and Chicago defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 10-1 Tuesday night.

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"Just try to keep riding the good," Sale said. "Any time you find a groove, you just try to stay in it. It helps when you get 10 (runs). ... It's a tough team over there, but you can get out there and be a little bit more loose when you have the offense we had tonight."

Sale, who has matched a career best by winning his first five decisions to open the season, had a one-hitter until Edwin Encarnacion hit his third homer of the season with one out in the seventh inning.

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Sale (5-0) had pitched 22 innings without allowing an earned run before Encarnacion's home run. He wound up allowing four hits, two walks and one run while striking out six as Chicago (15-6) extended its winning streak to five games.

Sale, who also started the 2014 season 5-0, lowered his earned-run average 1.66.

After the team endured three consecutive losing seasons, he said it is about winning, not personal achievements.

"Every day we come in collectively and it's not about this, it's not about that, it's about winning, and that's the bottom line," he said. "Nothing else matters. It doesn't matter what he's hitting, what this one's ERA is, what they're doing, when we win, we're good."

White Sox manager Robin Ventura said, "We're also playing a better brand of baseball. He's going out there and doing his thing, but he doesn't feel like he has to do everything. When you get offense like this and he's pitching the way he is, it's a good combination.

"He's more mature as far as going out there and understanding it's not about striking everybody out. He can do it if he needs to, but when you see him go out there, you don't see the same guy that's trying to strike everybody out."

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Right-hander Zach Putnam replaced Sale and struck out the side in the ninth inning.

The Blue Jays (10-12) will try to salvage the final game of the three-game series Wednesday after being outhit 15-4 Tuesday.

Toronto manager John Gibbons said Sale was on his game.

"He used both sides of the plate, has that sweeping breaking ball and he does a good job of changing speeds," Gibbons said. "He can reach back for a little extra when he needs it. He attacks. Going in, you know you can't afford to give up too many, and then they open it up there and really added on. Tough night."

Right-hander R.A. Dickey (1-3) allowed eight hits, including two home runs, plus one walk and six runs in six-plus innings. He struck out three.

"It's really frustrating, in particular because you know you're facing a guy where the margin of error is slim," said Dickey, who has a 6.75 ERA. "It's tough. I've got to find a way to arrest those big innings. I'm thankful April is over, let's put it that way."

Navarro, a former Blue Jay, hit his second homer of the season after Garcia led off the seventh with a single, putting the White Sox ahead by six runs.

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Dickey was replaced by Joe Biagini. The rookie right-hander gave up one run in the seventh on singles by Austin Jackson, who had three hits, Eaton and Jose Abreu.

Eaton hit his first homer of the season to lead off the ninth against right-hander Drew Storen, who gave up three more hits before being replaced by switch pitcher Pat Venditte. Storen was charged with three runs.

Garcia led off the third inning with his third homer of the season, a drive to left on a 3-1 pitch.

The White Sox loaded the bases with no outs in their three-run fifth on a single by Brett Lawrie, a walk by Garcia and a single by Navarro.

At first, Lawrie was called out after he rounded third and then returned to the bag on Navarro's single as left fielder Michael Saunders threw behind him. A video review overturned the call on the field, and Lawrie was ruled to be safe.

Jackson followed with a two-run double. Eaton hit a sacrifice fly to left, and Chicago led 4-0.

NOTES: Chicago put C Kevan Smith (back) on the disabled list Tuesday with sacroiliac joint dysfunction and purchased the contract of C Hector Sanchez from Triple-A Charlotte. Sanchez, 26, batted .143 (4-for-28) with two homers and three RBIs in eight games with Charlotte. Smith was scratched from what was to be his major league debut Monday due to back discomfort. ... Toronto recalled INF Matt Dominguez from Triple-A Buffalo, where he batted .311 with two homers and 14 RBIs in 17 games. He started Tuesday at third base with Josh Donaldson (thigh) at designated hitter for the second consecutive game. Donaldson was hit by a pitch on the leg Saturday. RHP Drew Hutchison, who won a spot start Sunday, was optioned to Buffalo. ... White Sox LHP Jose Quintana (2-1, 1.82 ERA) will face Blue Jays RHP Marco Estrada (1-1, 2.50) in the finale of the three-game series on Wednesday.

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