TORONTO – Aaron Laffey allowed just three hits to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night, and all of them cleared the outfield fence.
Alex Rios hit a three-run homer against his former team and Francisco Liriano earned his first win since joining the White Sox in a 7-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Tyler Flowers, Dayan Viciedo, Alexei Ramirez and Dewayne Wise hit solo home runs as the White Sox matched a season high by going deep five times.
"It feels like I just gave up 10 runs," Laffey said.
Toronto pitchers surrendered 10 home runs as the White Sox took three of four in their first series win at Rogers Centre since August 2006.
"Tonight, as has been the case in this series, we were plagued by the long ball," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said.
Chicago has 28 homers in its past 13 games.
Laffey (3-4) lost for the third time in four starts, striking out five and walking one in six innings. Farrell said he expects to give struggling left-hander another start.
White Sox manager Robin Ventura said his players were "giddy" celebrating the rare series win at Toronto. Chicago boosted its AL Central lead to 2½ games over second-place Detroit.
"Given the time of year and the situation we're in where every game means so much, to come in here and win three out of four is huge," A.J. Pierzynski said.
Viciedo and Flowers hit consecutive long balls in the fifth inning, the eighth time this season the White Sox went deep back to back.
Liriano (4-10) allowed two runs and three hits in 6 1-3 innings to win for the first time since July 6 for Minnesota at Texas. The left-hander, who struck out six and walked one , was traded to Chicago on July 28.
Liriano came in 0-3 with a 5.09 ERA in five career games against Toronto but kept the Blue Jays in check after a two-run, three-hit second inning, retiring 13 straight batters in one stretch.
"It's been kind of up and down the last month," Liriano said. "I felt pretty good tonight. Physically I feel very good. Location-wise, pitching-wise, it was a good night."
Crain got two outs, Brett Myers worked the eighth and Philip Humber finished.
Trailing 2-0 on Moises Sierra's second home run, Chicago halved the deficit in the third when Wise hit a one-out drive to right, his fifth of the year and second in two days.
Chicago took the lead in the fifth when Viciedo led off with his 19th homer and second in two days, and Flowers followed two pitches later with a drive into the fourth deck in left.
It was the fourth time this season the Blue Jays allowed consecutive home runs.
Chicago broke it open with a four-run eighth. After Kevin Youkilis singled and Adam Dunn walked, Rios connected off Darren Oliver for his 19th homer. One out later, Ramirez launched a second-deck homer off Brandon Lyon.
NOTES: Play was halted for four minutes in the seventh while a fan received medical attention and was taken away on a stretcher. Toronto Police Services confirmed the male fan died in a hospital after collapsing in the stands. The name of the fan was not released. ... Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion was scratched from the lineup with pain in his left shoulder and wrist after a diving play in the outfield Wednesday. Encarnacion has made just three appearances in the outfield this season. ... Toronto OF Jose Bautista (left wrist) hit in a cage Wednesday and is expected to take batting practice on the field Saturday and Sunday. If all goes well, Bautista could begin a minor league rehab assignment Monday. ... Blue Jays 3B Brett Lawrie (strained right oblique) is expected to begin a rehab assignment at Class-A Dunedin on Saturday and could be activated off the DL in time to return Tuesday when Toronto opens a three-game series at Detroit.
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