TORONTO - Melky Cabrera hit a three-run homer and a two-run double as the Chicago White Sox routed the Toronto Blue Jays 11-4 on Friday.
Jose Quintana (3-8) was solid for Chicago (30-36), striking out five and allowing five hits and just two runs over seven innings. Jake Petricka pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief, allowing two runs, with Gregory Infante earning the final out of the game.
Jose Abreu had two hits and drove in three runs for the White Sox, while Alex Hanson has three hits and scored three times.
Justin Smoak's two-run blast in the ninth inning was too little, too late for the Blue Jays (32-34). Kendrys Morales and Steve Pearce both had solo home runs. It was Pearce's first game back since May 14. He had been out with a strained right calf.
Toronto starter Joe Biagini (1-6) was shelled, allowing eight hits and giving up seven runs, six earned, in an inning-plus of work. He was followed out of the bullpen by Dominic Leone, Jeff Beliveau, Jason Grilli, Aaron Loup, Ryan Tepera and Danny Barnes.
Leone gave up a run over three innings and Beliveau allowed three more in his inning.
The White Sox got to Biagini quickly, with Abreu hitting a two-run triple to right field in the game's third at bat, driving in Hanson and Cabrera.
Todd Frazier added to that lead two hitters later, driving a sacrifice fly to deep right field, allowing Abreu to score. Biagini's rough start continued as Tim Anderson singled to the pitcher's mound and the Blue Jays starter threw it over Smoak's head at first base.
The error allowed Matt Davidson to score from second and give the White Sox a 4-0 lead.
A double from Cabrera in the second inning added to Chicago's lead, driving in Yolmer Sanchez and Hanson. Again, Biagini started the inning giving up two runs before earning an out.
Abreu followed that up with an RBI double that cashed Cabrera to make it 7-0 and ended Biagini's night, with Blue Jays manager John Gibbons bringing in the right-handed Leone.
Morales replied for the Blue Jays in the bottom of the second, sailing the ball over the centre-field wall to cut the lead to 7-1.
Hanson's single through the gap brought in Omar Narvaez from third in the next inning, adding to Chicago's already sizable lead.
Pearce answered back in the bottom of the third, hitting a home run just inside the left-field foul pole.
The drubbing continued in the fifth inning as Cabrera hit a three-run homer to make it 11-2 White Sox.
Smoak brought the few remaining fans in the Rogers Centre stands to their feet with a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth with two out. He drove in Dwight Smith Jr., to cut the lead to 11-4. Smoak has 19 home runs on the season, tied for second in Major League Baseball.
Notes: Toronto pitcher Aaron Sanchez threw in the bullpen before batting practice on Friday as he continues to rehab from issues with blisters and the nail on the middle finger of his throwing hand. He has been out for the past four weeks. ... Stephen Amell, the star of the superhero drama “Arrow,” took batting practice with the Blue Jays. ... Announced attendance at Rogers Centre was 39,071.
