Liriano wins 1st for Sox, thanks to 5 HRs

ALEX RIOS HIT a three-run homer against his former team and Francisco Liriano earned his first victory with the Chicago White Sox in a 7-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday night.

Tyler Flowers, Dayan Viciedo, Alexei Ramirez and Dewayne Wise all hit solo home runs as the White Sox matched a season high by going deep five times. Chicago has hit 27 home runs in its past 13 games. The power surge helped Chicago win its first series in Toronto since 2006.

Viciedo and Flowers hit consecutive long balls in the fifth inning, the eighth time this season the White Sox have gone back-to-back. It was the fourth time this season the Blue Jays have allowed back-to-back home runs.

Play was halted for 4 minutes in the seventh while a fan received medical attention and was taken away on a stretcher. Ambulance sirens could be heard outside the stadium as the fan was carted off, still receiving CPR. There was no word on the fan's condition.

Liriano (4-10) allowed two runs and three hits in 6 1/3 innings to win for the first time since July 6 at Texas, while pitching for Minnesota. The lefthander, who walked one and struck out six, was traded to Chicago on July 28.

Liriano came in 0-3 with a 5.09 ERA in five career games against Toronto, but kept the Blue Jays in check after a two-run, three-hit second inning, retiring 13 straight batters in one stretch.

Chicago's last series win at Rogers Centre came when they took two of three in August 2006.

* At Baltimore, Clay Buchholz shook off a rocky start to earn his 11th win, Dustin Pedroia singled in the tiebreaking run in the sixth inning and the Boston Red Sox beat the Orioles, 6-3, to avoid a three-game sweep.

Serving as designated hitter for the first time this season, Jacoby Ellsbury went 0-for-4 to end his 38-game hitting streak against Baltimore.

In other news, infielder Wilson Betemit has been placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Orioles with torn cartilage in his right wrist.

* At New York, Craig Gentry turned a spot start into a tiebreaking hit and the Texas Rangers avoided a four-game sweep in a matchup of AL division leaders, rallying past the Yankees, 10-6.

Texas had lost eight straight at Yankee Stadium overall. The hard-hitting Rangers had done little in this series, too, totaling only four runs before the finale.

Gentry started for the first time in 2 weeks, and his two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning put the Rangers ahead, 7-5. Adrian Beltre also had three RBI while Josh Hamilton doubled twice and scored three times.

* At Kansas City, Coco Crisp hit a solo homer in the sixth inning and Yoenis Cespedes duplicated it in the seventh to lead the Oakland Athletics over the Royals, 3-0. Five pitchers combined for the shutout, holding the Royals to six hits.

* A Dutch court has ordered the brother of slain former Seattle Mariners outfielder Greg Halman provisionally released after prosecutors joined the defense in asking for his acquittal on manslaughter charges.

Jason Halman is believed to have fatally stabbed his older brother after the two quarreled about loud music in the early hours of Nov. 21, 2011. During Jason Halman's trial, psychiatrists said he was having a psychotic episode at the time of the killing, which took place in an apartment they were sharing in Rotterdam. Judges at the Rotterdam District Court are expected to rule on Aug. 30.