White Sox at Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays will need some length out of their top starter Marcus Stroman when they continue a three-game series against the visiting Chicago White Sox on Saturday. The White Sox jumped all over Blue Jays righty Joe Biagini in Friday's opener en route to an 11-4 win, knocking out Toronto's starter with nobody out in the second inning and forcing six relievers to throw a combined 120 pitches.
Melky Cabrera homered, drove in five runs and scored three times to pace the 14-hit attack for Chicago, which has scored at least five runs in five consecutive games. Cabrera is 9-for-21 in that span and is batting .421 over a nine-game stretch to raise his batting average from .255 to .280. The veteran outfielder is also 4-for-6 lifetime against Stroman, who has struggled in his career against the White Sox but has been Toronto's most consistent performer on the mound in 2017. Kendrys Morales has homered in consecutive games for the Blue Jays, who have lost five in a row at home against Chicago.
TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, MLB Network, CSN Chicago, Sportsnet (Toronto), TVAS (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Mike Pelfrey (2-5, 3.81 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Marcus Stroman (7-2, 3.09)
Pelfrey worked a scoreless inning of relief Wednesday against Baltimore, which came two days after he lasted only 3 2/3 innings in a start versus the Orioles, giving up two runs on six hits and a season-high five walks. He has allowed eight free passes in two starts this month after issuing eight in six starts in May. The 33-year-old has yielded only one run in 12 innings over two career starts at Rogers Centre, but he is 1-2 with a 4.03 ERA in four meetings with the Blue Jays overall.
Stroman has allowed two or fewer runs in six of his last seven starts and lasted seven innings - his longest outing since April 28 - in a solid effort at Seattle his last time out. The Duke product owns a 2.30 ERA over his past five home starts and has allowed only two home runs in 31 1/3 innings during that stretch. Stroman is 0-2 lifetime against Chicago and has been reached for 15 runs in 19 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. White Sox 1B Jose Abreu tripled and doubled Friday and is 10-for-21 during his five-game hitting streak.
2. Blue Jays UTIL Steve Pearce (hamstring) came off the disabled list Friday and slugged a solo homer in two at-bats.
3. Chicago has won 10 of the last 12 meetings overall.