Blue Jays rally to win in Borucki's homecoming

TORONTO -- Ryan Borucki didn't get the win, but the Blue Jays did, and the rookie left-hander had his dreams come true by taking the mound at Guaranteed Rate Field on Sunday afternoon. The man who grew up idolizing Mark Buehrle got to toe the rubber on the same mound where No. 56 became a household name.
Borucki picked up his fifth quality start in six outings, but a lack of early run support meant he is still searching for an elusive first win in the Major Leagues. The product of nearby Mundelein, Ill., held Chicago to a pair of runs on six hits, and at least bought the Blue Jays enough time to pull off a late five-run rally in the ninth inning to steal a 7-4 victory over the White Sox.
The 24-year-old Borucki walked just one batter and struck out five. He has surrendered two runs or fewer in all but one of his big league starts as he continues to be one of the most positive storylines for the Blue Jays in an otherwise disappointing season. Toronto's No. 11-ranked prospect, per MLB Pipeline, continues to prove that he belongs, and he is cementing his spot as a future cornerstone of the rotation.
"It was awesome," Borucki said. "That first pitch, I kind of let loose and had to settle down a little bit, but it was awesome. I couldn't have pictured it any better. So many people that I saw when warming up, and coming off the mound, so many people that I know from my hometown and parents and everything. It was definitely a dream."

Borucki held the White Sox scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when Chicago led off the frame with back-to-back singles and then used a little bit of small ball to generate its first run. In the sixth, two of the first three batters reached base before Matt Davidson came through with the go-ahead RBI single. That was enough to cost Borucki a shot at picking up the victory, and it nearly dropped his record to 0-3 until Toronto's late-inning heroics.
The Blue Jays offense has struggled at times this season, but it has been particularly bad whenever Borucki is on the mound. When Borucki walked off the mound at the end of the sixth, the Blue Jays had scored a grand total of three runs in his five quality starts. That narrative changed in a hurry late in the game when Teoscar Hernández hit a game tying home run and Toronto added three more on RBI doubles by Brandon Drury and Luke Maile.

Borucki estimated that he had approximately 100-150 friends and family in attendance for the game. It was a walk down memory lane in some ways for the pitcher who went to at least four-to-five White Sox games a year while growing up in the area.
"It was definitely weird," Borucki said of pitching against the White Sox. "Even before, the last couple of days, I was looking up to where I used to sit as a kid. It's crazy to think that I'm actually here and got to play today against the White Sox. It definitely brought back some memories when they came out today and Thunderstruck was playing. That was a big thing growing up. It definitely put chills on the back of my neck. To go out there and pitch against them was awesome."
Lourdes Gurriel Jr., extended his streak of consecutive games with multiple hits to 11. Gurriel finished 3-for-5, including a pair of RBI singles, and is now tied with Tony Perez (1973) for the longest such streak over the last 50 years. The product of Cuba previously set the Blue Jays record (10 games) for the same streak and he has at least one hit in each of his last 17 starts. Rogers Hornsby holds the longest streak on record (since 1908), with multiple hits in 13 consecutive games way back in 1923.

Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, Gurriel was forced to leave the game in the top of the ninth inning after an awkward slide into second base. Gurriel remained on the ground for several minutes and he was eventually helped off the field by the Toronto training staff. He was sent for X-rays after the game, and for now, the Blue Jays are describing the injury as a left ankle and left knee contusion.
"You hope it's not a big deal," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.
SOUND SMART
The Blue Jays have won a season series against the White Sox for the first time since 2011. Toronto has now gone 1-5-1 vs. Chicago over the last six seasons.
HE SAID IT
"He didn't get any runs early, but justice was served, we got him off the hook. … You don't even recognize where he came from or what his experience is anymore, because he can pitch." -- Gibbons, on Borucki
TRAVIS OUT WITH BACK INJURY
There was a little bit of confusion on social media when Gibbons decided not to pinch-run for Kendrys Morales in the top of the ninth and then had Russell Martin play third base in the bottom half of the inning. A lot of people began speculating about infielder Devon Travis and a possible trade, but it was much ado about nothing.
Gibbons confirmed after the game that Travis has been dealing with a sore back over the last couple of games. For now, he is considered day to day, but it's not immediately clear when he will be ready to return.
"His back has been bothering him, so he wasn't available," Gibbons said.
UP NEXT
Right-hander Marco Estrada (4-7, 4.72) is set to come off the 10-day disabled list when the Blue Jays visit the A's on Monday night in Oakland, with first pitch scheduled for 10:05 p.m. ET. Estrada has been out since July 3 because of a strained glute, and he recently developed a blister on his right middle finger during a rehab appearance, but it isn't expected to be a factor for this outing. The A's are set to counter with right-hander Edwin Jackson (1-2, 3.86).