Kirk smacks pair of home runs against White Sox, leading Blue Jays to sixth win in a row

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The Blue Jays didn’t leave all of their entertainment value on the road. 

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In their first home game after winning the last five games of a six-game trip through St. Louis and Anaheim, the Jays on Tuesday night used a pair of two-run home runs by Alejandro Kirk to power past the Chicago White Sox at the Rogers Centre. 

The 6-5 victory to kick off a six-game home stand was the Jays’ 15th one-run win of the season, to lead the majors in that category in 2022, and it tied their one-run win total of a year ago. And the six-game winning streak, which has improved Toronto’s record to 28-20, is the club’s longest since it won eight in a row from Sept. 1-9 last season. 

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Kirk, who had just one homer this season, hit two in one game for the third time in his career. His second highlighted a four-run fifth inning for the Jays, which was the difference before a crowd of 25,424.

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Jays starter Kevin Gausman (5-3) went five innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits. He struck out five and walked one. 

After Trevor Richards struggled in relief of Gausman, Adam Cimber, Yimi Garcia and Julian Merryweather each worked a clean inning. Jordan Romano pitched the ninth for his 16th save. Romano gave up a pair of singles before getting Jake Burger to hit into a double play, and Romano then struck out Gavin Sheets.

The Jays made short work of a one-run Chicago lead, taken in the top of the fifth. 

In their half of the inning, the Jays sent nine men to the plate, recorded six hits and scored four runs to go out in front 6-3.

This after the Jays had managed just three hits in the first four innings off White Sox starter Lucas Giolito (3-2).

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After Cavan Biggio struck out to start the inning, the Jays went on a tear. 

George Springer singled and advanced to third on a ground-rule double by Bo Bichette. 

A Vladimir Guerrero Jr. strikeout was followed by a double by Teoscar Hernandez — a diving attempt by centre fielder Adam Engel failed — scoring Springer and Bichette. 

Next at the plate was Kirk, who homered to centre off Giolito to bring Hernandez and give the Jays a three-run cushion.

The White Sox responded with two runs in the top of the sixth to trim the Toronto lead to one run.

Richards couldn’t get anything right in relief of Gausman, giving up singles to Gavin Sheets and Engels to start the inning before a Reese McGuire double scored Sheets. Richards was gone after walking Josh Harrison, the fourth batter he faced. Engels scored off Cimber when Danny Mendick grounded into a force out.

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The visitors’ uprising ended when Yasmani Grandal flied out to Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who then threw to second baseman Biggio to get Mendick at the bag for a double play. 

Chicago went up 1-0 in the first when Andrew Vaughn, the second batter for the visitors, homered off the facing of the lower deck in left field. It was just the second homer allowed by Gausman this season.

That lead was erased in Toronto’s half of the second when Kirk hit his first home run of the night. After Hernandez led off with a double off the top off the wall in centre field, Kirk smacked a Giolito changeup to left on the first pitch of the at-bat.

DIAMOND DUST

The Jays on Tuesday designated lefthander Ryan Borucki for assignment, likely bringing an end to his time with the organization. Drafted by the Jays in 2012, the 28-year-old struggled in 11 games this season, recording a 9.95 ERA in 6 1/3 innings pitched, and also dealt with hamstring and blister issues. In 75 career games with Toronto — 19 of which were starts — Borucki was 8-9 with a 4.47 ERA. Since being drafted, he was the longest-tenured player in the organization. In a corresponding roster move, the Jays recalled righthander Trent Thornton from triple-A Buffalo … Jays manager Charlie Montoyo still was beaming about the Jays’ four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels, culminating with an 11-10 victory on Sunday. Toronto’s wins in the last three games of the set all were by one run. “It was a total team effort,” Montoyo said during his pre-game availability. “That’s what I loved about that four games. Everybody did something, even the guys who were off, they came off the bench and did something. It was pretty cool when 26 guys do something to win games. (Many of the Jays’ series) all have been grinds, to tell you the truth. Even 11-10 is a one-run game. But somebody had to do something to win those games.” … When Gurriel Jr. drew two bases-loaded walks on Sunday, he became just the third player in team history to do so in one game. Rance Mulliniks was the first to do it in a game in 1984 against Texas, and Joe Carter did it in a 1997 game against Boston … Nate Pearson was slated to head to Buffalo from Dunedin and is expected to pitch on Wednesday in the latest step in his rehab assignment … Lefty Tim Mayza, out since mid-May with forearm inflammation, threw a bullpen session on Tuesday. 

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