Luis Castillo strikes out 10 as the Chicago White Sox blank the Cincinnati Reds 5-0

CHICAGO (AP) — Luis Castillo struck out 10 in seven sparkling innings, helping the Chicago White Sox beat Rhett Lowder and the Cincinnati Reds 5-0 on Wednesday night.

Castillo allowed one hit — Sal Stewart's single in the first — and walked two in his first win with Chicago. The right-hander, acquired in an Aug. 1 trade with Seattle, was tagged for five runs over four innings in his White Sox debut at Boston last week.

Castillo (4-9) matched his longest outing of the season one day after Chicago blew a 4-0 lead during a 5-4 loss in the series opener.

Chase Meidroth and Drew Romo homered as the AL Central leaders won for the third time in four games. Sam Antonacci had three hits.

Lowder (4-8) was charged with two runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.22 ERA in his last four starts.

Lowder was pulled after Colson Montgomery's single in the sixth. Meidroth greeted Julian Garcia with a drive to left field for his 12th homer, giving the White Sox a 3-0 lead.

Romo went deep in the third, capping a 10-pitch at-bat with his first homer since May 25 and No. 6 on the year. He also singled home Montgomery in the eighth.

Castillo, who began his big league career with Cincinnati in 2017, helped himself with a nice play on TJ Friedl's two-out bunt in the fifth. Tristan Peters also made a leaping catch at the wall on Matt McLain's drive to left-center in the third.

Hagen Smith handled the eighth for Chicago before Huascar Brazobán finished the two-hitter.

White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami extended his on-base streak to 27 games with a two-out walk in the fifth. He is tied with Cleveland's Steven Kwan for the longest active streak in the majors.

Left-hander Andrew Abbott (6-7, 3.92 ERA) starts for Cincinnati in Thursday's series finale, and right-hander Davis Martin (9-6, 4.17) pitches for Chicago.

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Chicago White Sox's Colson Montgomery runs after hitting a single during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Julian Garcia looks down after Chicago White Sox's Chase Meidroth hit a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago White Sox's Chase Meidroth, left, is congratulated by manager Will Venable after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Luis Castillo throws against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

TORONTO (AP) — Kazuma Okamoto hit the go-ahead RBI single and Myles Straw had a two-run double in a five-run eighth inning, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Boston 6-4 on Wednesday night, handing the Red Sox their fifth consecutive loss.

José Soriano, making his second start with Toronto, allowed one run and four hits in six innings. Tyler Rogers (2-2) worked the eighth inning for the win.

Willson Contreras hit his 24th home run but the Red Sox matched their longest losing streak of the season. Boston won at Cincinnati on opening day before losing the next five.

The Blue Jays have won three straight and 11 of 16 to gain ground in the AL wild-card race.

Trailing 6-1, Boston scored three runs in the ninth with two runs off Matt Waldron and one off Louis Varland, who got the final two outs for his 26th save in 27 chances.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Alejandro Kirk singled off Tyron Guerrero (1-2) to begin the eighth, and Brandon Valenzuela came in to run for Kirk.

After first baseman Contreras dropped Okamoto’s foul pop up, Toronto’s DH took advantage by lining an RBI single to left on the next pitch.

Guerrero intentionally walked Andrés Giménez to load the bases, then walked Ernie Clement to force in a third run.

Alec Gamboa came in to pitch for Boston, but George Springer hit a sacrifice fly and Straw added his two-run double.

Clement opened the scoring with a two-out RBI single off Ranger Suarez in the second. Boston tied it when Contreras homered off Soriano to begin the fifth.

Suarez allowed one run and six hits in five innings.

Red Sox LHP Payton Tolle (7-6, 3.20 ERA) is scheduled to start Thursday against Blue Jays RHP Max Scherzer (1-4, 7.25).

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Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman (31) breaks his bat against the Toronto Blue Jays during first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) reacts to the Boston Red Sox dugout after hitting into a double play during fifth inning American League MLB baseball action in Toronto on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Boston Red Sox pitcher Ranger Suarez works against the Toronto Blue Jays during first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher José Soriano works against the Boston Red Sox during first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) reacts to the Boston Red Sox dugout after hitting into a double play during fifth inning American League MLB baseball action in Toronto on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)