Blue Jays pitchers have scoreless string snapped in Toronto win

TORONTO (AP) -- This has been one rough stretch of games for the Chicago White Sox.

Vernon Wells drove in three runs, Marco Scutaro homered and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the White Sox 5-2 on Saturday, handing Chicago its season-high fourth straight loss.

Chicago (14-14), which has dropped seven of 10 overall, dropped into a tie with Minnesota atop the American League Central. The Twins host Detroit later Saturday night.

"It's frustrating," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "All of a sudden, in one week, we forgot how to hit, how to catch the ball, how to run the bases, how to pitch. That happened quick."

A Joe Crede error led to three unearned runs and Chicago's struggling offense sputtered against right-hander Jesse Litsch, putting just one runner in scoring position.

"We're not terrible right now, we're just good enough to lose," first baseman Paul Konerko said. "We're just not clicking."

The White Sox have scored only six runs in their past four games and, at .235, have the lowest team batting average in the AL.

"As a coaching staff, we will take the blame," Guillen said. "Meanwhile, we have to continue to work and believe in those guys and hope and have faith that they can get out of this fiasco."

Litsch (4-1) gave up two runs and five hits in 7 1/3 innings for Toronto, which has won three straight after losing eight of nine. Wells went 3-for-5 with three singles.

Toronto's staff has an ERA of 1.32 in the past seven games, and no pitcher wants to be the one who slips up.

"You see a guy go out there and throw seven scoreless and it makes you want to go out there and do the same thing," Litsch said.

With Toronto's offense finally showing signs of life, Litsch expects the Blue Jays (14-17) to soon climb out of the cellar in the AL East.

"People are going to have to watch out for us," Litsch said. "We started out slow in the month of April, but that happens. It's how you finish, really."

Litsch was perfect through four, but Konerko singled off the glove of second baseman Aaron Hill to begin the fifth. Litsch, who has won back-to-back starts, struck out three and walked none.

Scott Downs got two outs in the eighth and B.J. Ryan worked the ninth for his fourth save.

Konerko returned after missing two games with a sore thumb, but the White Sox still struggled at the plate. Their only runs came on homers by Jermaine Dye and Carlos Quentin.

Dye ended an 0-for-15 skid with a drive in the seventh, snapping a streak of 24 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings by Blue Jays pitchers. Toronto had not given up a run since the ninth inning of Wednesday's 2-1 loss at Boston. Quentin went deep in the eighth, his eighth.

Konerko, who went 2-for-4 with two singles, said his hand was still a little sore.

"A couple of balls tested it a bit," Konerko said. "It was manageable. You still feel it but it wasn't stopping me from doing what I wanted to do."

David Eckstein doubled and scored on a two-out single by Wells in the first, and Scutaro hit a solo homer off John Danks (2-3) in the third, his first.

Toronto broke it open in the sixth. With two outs and the bases loaded, Hill hit a bouncer down the third-base line. Crede tried to make the force at third but bobbled the ball, allowing Rod Barajas to score. Wells followed with a two-run single to center.

Crede was the only Chicago player to get into scoring position, leading off the sixth with a double that hit the top of the center-field wall and bounced back into play. Pablo Ozuna sacrificed Crede to third, but Nick Swisher lined out to first and Orlando Cabrera grounded out.

"The ball is just not bouncing our way," Guillen said.

Danks gave up two runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one.

"I didn't have command of anything," Danks said. "I threw too many pitches and, if that happens, the defense gets flat-footed."

Game notes
Danks walked Matt Stairs in the fifth, snapping a streak of 88 batters faced without a base on balls. ... Blue Jays 3B Scott Rolen got the day off, his first since being activated from the disabled list April 25. ... Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin took batting practice before the game.