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White Sox hope for some better luck in Toronto

Jun 26, 2014 - 2:51 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago White Sox know the reed-thin difference between wins and losses.

Stung by two late defeats in their previous series, the White Sox take to the road on Thursday night, when they'll visit Rogers Centre for the first of four straight games with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Chicago was two outs from a victory over Baltimore on Monday before a three- run walk-off home run yielded a 6-4 loss. Two days later, the White Sox led by four runs with two outs in the eighth before a game-tying grand slam ultimately turned into a 5-4 loss to the Orioles.

Six losses in seven games overall have dropped them into last in the American League's Central Division.

"The baseball gods must be upset with us in some way, shape, or form," Adam Eaton said. "They kind of had it out for us."

Rookie right-hander Scott Carroll begins a second run in the starting rotation against the Blue Jays after going 1-3 with a 6.15 earned run average in the initial stint. He was sent to the bullpen after those five starts and hasn't begun a game since May 19.

He posted a 1.83 ERA in six relief outings and was brought back to starting to replace Andre Rienzo.

He has never faced the Blue Jays.

Carroll could sidestep a meeting with Toronto slugger Jose Bautista, who's been hampered by left hamstring issues. Bautista leads the AL in on-base percentage.

"He's getting better, he feels better," manager John Gibbons said. "We want to make good and sure he's ready to go. He's making progress."

Toronto is 2-5 in its last seven home games with the White Sox and goes with lefty J.A. Happ to start the series opener.

He's lasted fewer than five innings in two of his last three starts, including a four-inning outing against Cincinnati on Saturday in which he was touched for eight runs and walked four.

"The walks - that's terrible," Happ said. "That's obviously frustrating. Of course I'm not happy about that, and I need to do better."

He was 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in two meetings with Chicago in 2013.

The Blue Jays were denied a series sweep on Wednesday versus New York, as Mark Teixeira homered and drove in three runs to power the Yankees to a 5-3 victory.

Jose Reyes finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Melky Cabrera ended 2- for-4 with a two-run single for the AL East-leading Blue Jays.

Drew Hutchison (5-6) was handed the loss after permitting four runs in six innings.