Toronto @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 8, 2015 ) Toronto 6, Chi. White Sox 7

The Chicago White Sox’s offense finally took a little pressure off the pitching staff and led the team to a win on Adam Eaton’s walk-off homer on Wednesday. The White Sox will try to earn a win of the four-game series when they host the Toronto Blue Jays in the finale on Thursday afternoon.

Chicago has won six of its last eight games and the pitching staff held opponents to two or fewer runs in the first five of those triumphs. The Blue Jays got to the White Sox staff on Wednesday but Eaton tied it at 6-6 with an RBI infield single in the sixth and won it on a solo homer in the 11th for a 7-6 triumph. Toronto, which lost for the seventh time in 10 games and is just one game above .500 (44-43), is still in the race in an AL East that gets tighter by the day, as all five teams hover within five games of first place. R.A. Dickey will have the responsibility of shutting down that Chicago offense while Jeff Samardzija gets the ball for the White Sox.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, RSN (Toronto), CSN Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (3-9, 5.02 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Jeff Samardzija (5-4, 4.33)

Dickey matched a career high with 11 hits allowed and surrendered five runs over 5 2/3 innings to suffer his third straight loss at Detroit on Saturday. The veteran knuckleballer had a string of six straight starts yielding three earned runs or fewer come to an end with the loss. The streak started after a turn against the White Sox on May 26 in which he was reached for five runs and eight hits in five innings without factoring in the decision.

Samardzija owns just one win in his last eight starts but has gone at least seven innings in each of the past six outings. The former college football star was strong against Baltimore on Saturday, allowing one run on three hits and a pair of walks while striking out nine over 7 2/3 innings in a no-decision. Samardzija was almost as sharp at Toronto on May 27, when he surrendered an unearned run and eight hits in seven frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. Blue Jays 3B Josh Donaldson was announced as a Home Run Derby participant and will take on Chicago Cubs rookie Kris Bryant in the first round on Monday.

2. White Sox 1B Jose Abreu has hit safely in 10 straight games.

3. Chicago 3B Gordon Beckham is 1-for-24 since June 24.

PREDICTION: White Sox 4, Blue Jays 2