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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) -- Closer Billy Koch makes Toronto formidable enough in the late innings with a fastball that reaches 100 mph. And now Kelvim Escobar's transition from starter to reliever has made the Blue Jays' bullpen even tougher.
They double-teamed the Chicago White Sox on Friday night, pitching out of two late-inning jams and preserving the Blue Jays' 6-5 victory.
"You've really got a 1-2 punch out there. You bring in Kelvim and
then Billy," said Blue Jays catcher Darrin Fletcher, who homered
and had an RBI double as Toronto stayed three games behind
Cleveland in the AL wild card chase.
Escobar (10-14), in his 13th straight relief appearance since
leaving the rotation, pitched 1 2/3 perfect innings.
He retired Frank Thomas on a foul pop with a runner at first in
the seventh and then got Magglio Ordonez on a grounder with a man
at second to end the inning.
In the ninth, after singles by Charles Johnson and Jose Valentin
put runners at first and third, Koch struck out Thomas on three
pitches to end the game and earn his 33rd save.
"Escobar has been great since he's been out there," Koch said.
"I knew I had to get Frank out, he's a great hitter. I decided to
go after him and try to get him to swing and miss or pop up."
Thomas took a strike and hit a foul ball, both pitches clocked at 98 mph. Then he fanned on a slider.
"It was a slider about 94 mph, just a heck of a pitch," Blue Jays manager Jim Fregosi said.
Chicago's loss left the White Sox's magic number at 11 for
clinching the AL Central.
Toronto drove struggling rookie Jon Garland (3-7) out in the
fifth on run-scoring doubles by Brad Fullmer and Fletcher that made
it 6-2. Fletcher hit a solo homer in the fourth, his 18th.
The 20-year-old Garland, the youngest pitcher in the majors,
hasn't made it past the fifth inning in three starts since coming
off the disabled list 11 days ago. He gave up six hits, including
two homers, and six runs -- four earned -- with five walks.
It's not the pitching the White Sox need as they try to make the
postseason for the first time since 1993.
"You can't get down," said Garland.
"I think we'll continue to give Jon the opportunity as long as
we're in the position we're in," White Sox manager Jerry Manuel
said. "He has to have the confidence in himself to do it."
Valentin's two-run homer in the fifth, his 23rd, cut the lead to
6-4 and was Chicago's club-record 199th homer this season. Charles
Johnson hit a solo shot, his 28th, off John Frascatore to make it 6-5 in the seventh.
The Blue Jays scored three in the third as Shannon Stewart
reached on an error when Sox first baseman Paul Konerko couldn't
handle his hard grounder and Gonzalez followed with his 13th homer.
Dave Martinez walked, moved up on a grounder and scored on
Fullmer's single.
Chicago loaded the bases with no outs in the third on two walks
and Ordonez's single but managed just one run on Carlos Lee's RBI
single as Paul Quantrill got Paul Konerko on a 5-2-3 double play.
Johnson had an RBI single for Chicago's first run in the third
off starter Steve Trachsel, who lasted just three plus innings.
In a meeting of MVP candidates, Toronto's Carlos Delgado walked
twice and was hit by a pitch in an 0-for-1 night while Thomas finished 0-for-4 with a walk.
Game notes
Fall was in the air with a 62-degree game-time temperature.
... Cal Eldred, still trying to see if can pitch again this season
with a screw in his elbow, made 40 tosses from 40-to-50 feet Friday
with no pain. He'll throw again Sunday. Eldred has a stress
fracture of his elbow and has been on the DL since July. He had
surgery to implant the screw last week. ... The 1998 White Sox hit
198 homers. ... Delgado is homerless in his last 16 games, his
longest drought this season. ... Mark Buehrle pitched 3 1-3 hitless
innings of relief for the White Sox.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
Chi. White Sox Clubhouse
RECAPS
Seattle 10
Baltimore 2
Boston 7
Detroit 6
Cleveland 11
NY Yankees 1
Oakland 17
Tampa Bay 3
Toronto 6
Chi. White Sox 5
Anaheim 16
Minnesota 5
Texas 12
Kansas City 11
Cincinnati 6
Milwaukee 4
Montreal 4
NY Mets 3
Philadelphia 7
Florida 4
Houston 16
Pittsburgh 7
St. Louis 3
Chicago Cubs 2
Arizona 2
Atlanta 1
San Diego 5
San Francisco 4
Los Angeles 4
Colorado 3
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