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TORONTO (AP) -
Roy Halladay
's complete game streak came to an end, but this time he did get the win.
Halladay won for the first time in four starts,
Matt Stairs
scored twice and drove in two runs and the
Toronto Blue Jays
beat the
White Sox
4-3 on Sunday, handing Chicago its season-high fifth straight loss.
Halladay (3-4) had thrown complete games in his previous four starts, but lost the last three. He lasted 7 1-3 innings in
this one, giving up three runs - one earned - and three hits. Halladay walked none and struck out seven.
Staked to a 4-0 lead after three innings, Halladay survived Chicago's three-run fourth to get the win, saying pitching with
a lead gave him a boost.
''It's a comfort level for the pitchers,'' Halladay said. ''There's something about being on top. It's sometimes a little
defeating when you're always pitching behind. It's nice to get those runs and get a little confidence.''
Jesse Carlson
replaced Halladay and finished the eighth,
Jeremy Accardo
got the first two outs of the ninth and
Scott Downs
got the final out for his third save.
''It's never easy taking (Halladay) out but you have to do what you think is right,''
Blue Jays
manager
John Gibbons
said.
Halladay last won April 12 at Texas, when he threw a six-hitter.
Toronto has won a season-high four straight after losing eight of nine.
Lyle Overbay
's sacrifice fly gave the
Blue Jays
a 1-0 lead in the second, and the
Blue Jays
made it 4-0 in the third when a key call went against the
White Sox
.
Gregg Zaun
opened the inning with a single and went to third on a double by
Alex Rios
. Rios inexplicably strayed off the bag on
David Eckstein
's grounder to short and collided with
Orlando Cabrera
, who was incensed when second base umpired Dale Scott ruled that Rios had not been tagged out on the play.
''From the dugout I thought Cabbie tagged the guy,'' said
White Sox
manager
Ozzie Guillen
, who came out to argue the call. ''The umpires are human. They're going to make mistakes and that mistake cost us a couple
of runs.''
Rios denied that Cabrera had completed the double play.
''He didn't tag me with the glove,'' Rios said. ''We just collided, but I don't think he ever tagged me.''
Scott Rolen
lined out to third before Stairs doubled home Zaun and Rios, then scored on a single by
Vernon Wells
.
Jose Contreras
pitched a complete game but took the loss for Chicago, giving up four runs and six hits. He walked none and struck out five.
''We've been wasting a lot of good pitching on our side,'' Guillen said. ''Our pitching staff is doing a tremendous job and
we're not helping them win more games.''
Contreras (2-3) has not won back-to-back starts since Sept. 19, 2007.
The
White Sox
have lost eight of 11 to fall below .500 for the first time since they were 1-2. Chicago has scored just nine runs in its
past five games and has the lowest team batting average in the American League at .232.
''It seemed like we had a little bit more life in the dugout, we were attacking really well,'' Guillen said. ''That's the
best game we've played in this bad week. The attitude was there, the fight was there. Hopefully tomorrow we go back out and
continue to keep fighting.''
Halladay was perfect through the first three innings, but gave up three runs and three hits in the fourth.
Nick Swisher
led off with a double and Cabrera reached on Eckstein's throwing error.
Jim Thome
hit an RBI single,
Paul Konerko
followed with a run-scoring double and A.J. Pierzynksi capped the rally with an RBI grounder.
Rolen finished 0-for-4, the first time he has been held without a hit in eight games this season.
Notes: Halladay led the majors with seven complete games in 2007, going 4-3 with a 1.97 ERA in those games. ... Chicago is
0-5 on artificial turf this season. ... The
Blue Jays
are 8-1 in day games. ... Right-handers
Javier Vazquez
(3-2) and
Dustin McGowan
(1-2) square off in Monday's series finale.
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