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Scutaro, Marcum lead Blue Jays past White Sox

Sep 12, 2008 - 4:31 AM By Gene Chamberlain PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Shaun Marcum rediscovered himself in the minor leagues and proved a major thorn in the side of the Chicago White Sox' hitters on Thursday.

The Toronto Blue Jays righthander outdueled Gavin Floyd and benefited from a six-run explosion in the eighth inning in a 6-4 victory over Chicago.

Marcum had thrown seven innings of scoreless ball at Toronto without a decision on September 6 in his return from a short stint in the minor leagues, due to what he said was a simple case of wildness.

"I think he has better control," Toronto manager Cito Gaston said. "Before, Marcum was certainly throwing a lot more pitches (before the demotion). He'd be almost out of pitches in five innings."

Marcum ran his streak of scoreless innings to 14 1/3 against the White Sox, allowing five hits and two runs while striking out six and walking one.

"I know it's almost like I'm pitching for next year," Marcum said.

The Blue Jays (79-67) are 6 1/2 games behind Boston (85-60) in the wild card chase.

"We need all these wins if we're going to make the playoffs or make a run at it," Marcum said.

Both pitchers took three-hit shutouts into the eighth inning, but Marco Scutaro broke up the scoreless tie with an RBI single after Travis Snider doubled and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Joe Inglett. It was Scutaro's third hit of the game.

"I found a little thing in my mechanics and it feels a little better," Scutaro said. "Probably tomorrow I won't feel this way. It was just one of those days for me."

The floodgates opened after that, as Lyle Overbay hit a two-out, two-run single off reliever Matt Thornton. Rod Barajas doubled in a run off reliever Ehren Wassermann and Scott Rolen singled in two to cap the uprising.

But then the White Sox rallied for four in the bottom of the inning.

"It was unbelievable," Marcum said. "The guys ended up swinging the bat very well at the end on both clubs' side. It was fun, a quick seven innings."

Marcum left after allowing one-out singles to Juan Uribe and Orlando Cabrera in the eighth. After relieving Marcum, Scott Downs allowed a two-out, two-run double by Jermaine Dye and Jim Thome's 31st home run of the year to allow Chicago within 6-4.

B.J. Ryan pitched around a first-and-third jam in the ninth by striking out Cabrera for his 29th save and the Blue Jays finished the season with a 7-1 record against Chicago (81-64), which remained a game ahead of Minnesota (80-65) in the AL Central.

"Thank God they get out of here - we don't have to play those guys anymore," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said after Toronto held his team to a .178 batting average and outscored them 34-18 in eight contests. "They give a lot of people trouble. I think we have to thank them, too, because they were pretty good against Minnesota a few weeks ago.

"They have a great pitching staff. I think the reason they are where they are is their pitching staff is absolutely good, at least against us. Marcum threw the ball well and kept everybody off balance and cut the ball into the batters."

The White Sox have lost four of five.

"We have the type of team that can go out there and win six games or seven games in a row, but then we can go out and lose five or six in a row," Guillen said. "That's the type of team we've been all year."