Blue Jays sweep White Sox for eighth straight win

TORONTO — Teoscar Hernandez homered and Alek Manoah threw 7 2/3 strong innings as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Chicago White Sox 8-3 on Thursday to extend their winning streak to eight games.

Raimel Tapia scored twice to stake Toronto to an early lead before Hernandez hit a two-run shot off Johnny Cueto in the sixth inning. Santiago Espinal had three RBIs — including a two-run single in Toronto's four-run eighth inning — to help the Blue Jays sweep the three-game series.

Manoah, who retired 16 batters in a row after escaping a first-inning jam, allowed six hits, three earned runs and a walk. He had five strikeouts.

He was pulled in the eighth after Luis Robert's two-run double. Yoan Moncada hit a two-out RBI single off sidearmer Adam Cimber to make it a one-run game before Jose Abreu flew out.

Cavan Biggio drove in Hernandez to help key Toronto's late rally and Bo Bichette chipped in with an RBI single. The Blue Jays batted around in the frame before Jimmy Lambert fanned Hernandez with the bases loaded.

The Blue Jays (30-20) have won 12 of their last 15 games while the White Sox (23-26) have dropped six of eight. Toronto outhit Chicago 12-7.

Chicago took advantage of some fielding miscues to put their first two batters of the game on base. Bradley Zimmer couldn't squeeze Leury Garcia's sinking liner in centre field and Matt Chapman botched the transfer after gloving a Robert chopper.

Both plays were ruled base hits. Manoah issued a two-out walk to Gavin Sheets to load the bases and worked a full count to Yasmani Grandal before freezing him with a slider to escape unscathed.

Tapia was rewarded for his hustle in the third inning by scoring an unearned run.

He doubled down the right-field line and kept going after a