White Sox net 5 home runs to beat Blue Jays 7-2

Left-hander Francisco Liriano allowed three hits over 6 1/3 innings and the Chicago White Sox hit five home runs Thursday to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2 at Rogers Centre.

It was the third win in a row for the White Sox after losing the opener of the four-game series.

Former Blue Jay Alex Rios hit his 19th homer in the eighth inning against left-hander Darren Oliver to give Chicago a four-run lead.

Blue Jays left-hander Aaron Laffey (3-4) allowed three runs on three hits — home runs by Dewayne Wise, Dayan Viciedo and Tyler Flowers — in six innings.

Both Blue Jay runs against Liriano (4-10) came on a two-run homer in the second by Moises Sierra, recently called up from triple-A Las Vegas. Liriano was making his fourth start for the White Sox since he was obtained in a trade with Minnesota on July 28. His three previous starts were no decisions.

Chicago’s fifth homer of the game was hit by Alexei Ramirez against right-handed reliever Brandon Lyon in the eighth when Chicago scored four times to break up a close game.

Sierra started the scoring for Toronto (55-63) with a two-run homer in the second inning. His second major-league homer followed a one-out single by David Cooper.

But the White Sox (65-52), who lead the American League Central, struck back with their own home runs.

Wise, also a former Blue Jay, hit his fifth of the season with one out in the third to cut Toronto’s lead to 2-1.

Viciedo led off the fifth by lining his 19th homer of the season to left and Flowers drilled his fourth off the glass at the third level in left field to put Chicago into the lead.

It was the fourth time this season that Toronto pitchers have allowed back-to-back homers and the eighth time the White Sox have hit them.

After giving up an infield single to Jeff Mathis with two out in the second, Liriano retired the next 13 hitters in a row before walking Yunel Escobar to lead off the seventh.

Cooper forced Escobar at second with a grounder. Anthony Gose ran for Cooper at first base and right-hander Jesse Crain took over for Liriano.

Gose stole second with one out with Sierra batting. The rookie right-fielder got a reprieve when first baseman Adam Dunn couldn’t catch his foul ball. But Sierra struck out and Kelly Johnson hit a fly out to shallow centre.

Kevin Youkilis singled against Oliver with one out in the eighth inning, Dunn walked and Rios homered to left field. Lyon took over with two out and gave up the sixth homer of the season for Ramirez.

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