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Rios, Jays beat White Sox 3-2 for 4-game sweep

May 18, 2009 - 8:34 PM TORONTO(AP) -- The Chicago White Sox can't get out of Canada quickly enough.

Alex Rios hit a go-ahead triple in the eighth inning Monday and the Toronto Blue Jays completed a four-game sweep, beating the Chicago White Sox 3-2.

Chicago lost its season-high fifth in a row and has dropped 10 straight at Toronto.

"It seems like every time we come to Toronto ... we can't do anything," Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski said.

After Jim Thome tied it in the top of the eighth with his 548th career home run, Toronto bounced back against Octavio Dotel (1-1).

The Blue Jays own the AL's best record at 27-14. They start a nine-game road trip Tuesday night at Fenway Park when they play Boston for the first time this season.

For Toronto's Kevin Millar, who hit a solo homer, it's a return to the city where he won the 2004 World Series.

"It's a part of you, no matter what," Millar said. "I had some good years back there. It's a fun place to play, one of my favorite parks and it's nice going there leading the East."

Chicago scored just eight runs in this series and went 2 for 23 with runners in scoring position.

"We've got guys, especially at the plate, trying too hard and I'm one of them," Pierzynski said."

The White Sox finished 1-6 on its road trip that started in Cleveland, a week that manager Ozzie Guillen described before the game as "horrible."

"It's kind of a crazy week," Guillen said afterward. "I can't describe it. We're losing games in different ways all the time, late in the game, early in the game, by a lot of runs, by a few runs. There's so many different ways to lose, you can't describe each of them."

The White Sox have lost 12 of 15 since May 2 to drop from first to fourth in the AL Central.

"We should be embarrassed because I think we've got a better ballclub than we're showing right now," Guillen said.

Dotel had not allowed a run in 14 games this season, a span of 12 1-3 innings, when he relieved in the eighth with the score 2-all.

Jose Bautista drew a leadoff walk and moved up on Marco Scutaro's sacrifice. Bautista stole third with one out, racing in without a throw as Dotel looked in for the sign while third baseman Josh Fields played well behind the bag.

Rios scored Bautista with a triple that skipped past a diving Scott Podsednik in center field.

"You can't keep bad things in your mind," Dotel said. "Bad things, you've got to throw away as soon as possible and just look for the next day. Today is over, there's nothing we can do right now. If there was, it would be nice, but there's nothing we can do. We've just got to think about tomorrow."

Toronto led 2-0 until Thome's two-run homer. He tied Mike Schmidt for 13th on baseball's career home run list.

"It's nice to do things like that but you definitely want to win the game, that's No. 1," Thome said. "We've got to go back home and get back on track, start swinging the bats and start winning some games."

Chicago opens a six-game homestand against Minnesota and Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.

Jesse Carlson (1-2) got the win despite allowing Thome's shot. Scott Downs closed it out in the ninth for his fifth save in as many chances.

Millar gave Toronto a 1-0 lead in the second with his second home run and the Blue Jays added another in the third, taking advantage of an error by Podsednik.

Scutaro opened the inning with a fly ball to left-center and, sensing a collision with left fielder Jayson Nix, Podsednik slowed up at the last second. The ball bounced off his glove and rolled to the wall, sending Scutaro to third, and he scored on Aaron Hill's sacrifice fly.

Neither starter figured in the decision but both turned in strong performances. Tagged for five runs in a career-low 1 2-3 innings against the New York Yankees last Wednesday, Toronto right-hander Scott Richmond rebounded by allowing five hits in seven shutout innings. He walked one and struck out seven.

"He did a heck of a job," manager Cito Gaston said. "It might be one of his better starts. The only sad thing is he didn't win that game."

Chicago left-hander Clayton Richard gave up one earned run and three hits in a career-high seven innings. He walked three and struck out three.

"I'm really excited about what he did, for himself and for the ballclub," Guillen said.

Notes: Guillen rejoined the White Sox after a two-day leave. Guillen had been in Chicago attending his son's college graduation. ... Scutaro started one day after being struck in the chest by the throw on a steal of third base. He drew two walks Sunday, boosting his AL-leading total to 35. ... Toronto 3B Scott Rolen made a diving stop and then threw from one knee to retire Fields in the third. Fields gave Rolen a tip of the cap as he headed back to the dugout.