Blue Jays at White Sox
The Chicago White Sox continue to remake their roster in hopes of competing in the near future and enter trade deadline day with few veterans remaining on the roster. The Toronto Blue Jays, who visit the White Sox for the opener of a three-game series on Monday, expected to contend this season but instead enter deadline day in last place in the American League East.
The Blue Jays are close enough to wild-card contention that they are not big sellers in advance of the deadline, and the team earned a momentum-swinging win on Sunday when Steve Pearce capped a seven-run rally in the ninth inning by belting his second walk-off grand slam of the week in an 11-10 over the Los Angeles Angels. "You've got to go up there and attack that at-bat," Pearce told reporters. "I went up there and just looked for my pitch. (Angels closer Bud Norris) missed a couple pitches pretty bad early, so I was able to sit on my pitch and unload on it." The White Sox own the worst record in the AL at 40-62 but are set up well for the future after trades in the last year sent away players like Chris Sale, Adam Eaton, Jose Quintana, Melky Cabrera, Todd Frazier and David Robertson and brought back top prospects. Chicago will send one of its last remaining veterans to the mound on Monday, when James Shields opposes Blue Jays righty Marco Estrada.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, TVA Sports (Toronto), Sportsnet (Toronto), CSN Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Marco Estrada (4-7, 5.43 ERA) vs. White Sox RH James Shields (2-3, 5.86)
Estrada is looking for his first win since May 27 and completed six innings just once in his last 10 outings. The California native was solid against Oakland on Wednesday but struggled a bit with his control and walked four while allowing two runs and three hits in five innings. Estrada is seeing Chicago for the first time this season and faced the White Sox once in 2016, taking the loss after yielding three runs in 6 2/3 innings at home on April 27.
Shields is 0-2 in four starts this month and failed to log a quality start in any of those turns while yielding a total of 21 runs - 19 earned - in 19 innings. The 35-year-old has surrendered a total of 43 homers in 165 innings since joining Chicago in a trade from San Diego last season. Shields yielded one home run in a no-decision at Toronto on June 18 while being charged with three runs over 5 2/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. White Sox DH Matt Davidson homered in two of the last three games, bringing his season total to 21.
2. Toronto 1B Justin Smoak is 7-for-19 with two home runs, five RBIs and four runs scored in the last five games.
3. Chicago OF Leury Garcia (finger) came off the 10-day disabled list on Sunday and homered.