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Rasmus picks up five hits in win over White Sox

Jun 6, 2012 - 4:30 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Colby Rasmus clubbed a career-high five hits, including a two-run homer to lift the Blue Jays to a 9-5 victory over the White Sox in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday.

"Tonight they fell in for me, which is nice," remarked Rasmus. "I felt comfortable at the plate with what I was trying to do with my approach and it worked out."

Rasmus knocked in three runs and scored four times, David Cooper added a two- run shot and plated three as well and Jose Bautista drove in a pair of runs to help the Blue Jays snap a five-game skid on the road.

Ricky Romero (7-1) surrendered five runs -- three earned -- on six hits and one walk over seven-plus innings of work to earn the victory.

Philip Humber (2-3) took the loss after giving up five runs on seven hits and four walks in five frames. A.J. Pierzynski and Adam Dunn both homered for Chicago, which has lost two of its last three since a nine-game win streak.

"If you allow your struggles to make you stronger, they will," said Humber. "I'm going to be really strong after all these struggles."

The Blue Jays loaded the bases in the first on a single and a pair of walks before Humber's third walk of the inning forced Rasmus in from third to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Alejandro De Aza led off the bottom half with a single and quickly advanced to second as Rajai Davis misplayed the ball in left field.

De Aza moved to third on a bunt from Gordon Beckham and crossed home two batters later when Dayan Viciedo lofted a ball into shallow center that Rasmus seemed to have a beat on, but the ball tipped off his glove and found the grass in center to knot the game at 1-1.

Toronto used a pair of two-run blasts to take a 5-1 lead in the fifth. Brett Lawrie doubled to start the frame and Rasmus followed with a high fly ball that barely cleared the wall in right field.

After Humber retired the next two Jays, Yunel Escobar singled before Cooper launched his second homer of the year into the left-field seats.

Zach Stewart replaced Humber to start the sixth and got the first two batters to ground out before Lawrie and Rasmus ripped consecutive singles.

Bautista and Kelly Johnson followed with back-to-back RBI singles to plate Lawrie and Rasmus, giving Toronto a 7-1 lead.

Chicago trimmed the deficit in the seventh when Alex Rios stroked a leadoff single before Pierzynski launched his 10th of the season deep into the right- field seats to make it a 7-3 contest.

After Alexei Ramirez fanned, Orlando Hudson walked and Brent Lillibridge reached on an error. De Aza then followed with a fielder's choice to plate Hudson and bring the White Sox within 7-4.

Toronto added some insurance in the eighth when Lawrie slapped a one-out single and scored from first on a double from Rasmus, who scored on Bautista's sac fly to restore a five-run lead for the visitors.

Dunn launched his 18th homer of the season to start the eighth inning and chase Romero from the contest, but Francisco Cordero and Luis Perez both fired a scoreless inning to blank the White Sox over the final two frames.

Game Notes

White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko was scratched prior to the game...Beckham had his 10-game hitting streak snapped with an 0-for-3 performance...Stewart allowed four runs -- three earned -- on six hits in 2 2/3 innings of relief...After the game, Toronto optioned pitcher Jesse Crain to Triple-A Las Vegas and recalled infielder Yan Gomes from Las Vegas.