CHICAGO (AP) – Tadahito Iguchi hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning, and the Chicago White Sox avoided a three-game sweep with a 5-4 victory Thursday over the Toronto Blue Jays.

After the Blue Jays tied the score in the eighth on Russ Adams’ RBI double off Damaso Marte, Iguchi lifted an 0-1 pitch from Justin Speier (1-2) over the right-field fence leading off the bottom half.

Iguchi’s ninth home run made a winner of Luis Vizcaino (5-5), who got three straight outs in the eighth. With a runner on third, he retired Vernon Wells on a shallow fly and Shea Hillenbrand on a popup to escape the jam.

Dustin Hermanson worked the ninth for his 26th save in 27 opportunities.

White Sox starter Jose Contreras did not allow an earned run in five innings.

Toronto’s Dustin McGowan, making his second major league start, gave up four runs and four hits in five innings. Adams was 3-for-5 with a triple and two doubles.

Chicago’s Aaron Rowand hit a three-run homer in the first inning. Designated hitter Carl Everett went 1-for-2 with a walk but left with a mild strain of his left groin. He is expected to miss two to three games.

A day after stranding nine and going 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, the White Sox jumped ahead in the first inning.

After Iguchi walked with one out, Everett singled and Paul Konerko drove in the first run with a single. McGowan threw a wild pitch, putting runners at second and third, then Rowand’s shot to center made it 4-0.

It was a rough beginning for the 23-year-old McGowan, who held Texas to one run and two hits in five innings Saturday but did not get a decision.

The inconsistent Contreras, who had a 5.92 ERA in his previous four starts, kept the Blue Jays off balance with pitches ranging from the high 70s (mph) to mid 90s.

A throwing error by third baseman Joe Crede led to three unearned runs by the Blue Jays in the fourth.

With two on and one out, Crede fielded a grounder by Alex Rios but overthrew first base. That allowed Gregg Zaun to score from second, and it put runners at second and third. The next batter, Orlando Hudson, drove in a run with a groundout, and Rios scored on a triple by Adams that cut Chicago’s lead to 4-3.

Wells led off the fifth with a double. But with one out, Iguchi made a leaping catch of Corey Koskie’s line drive. After walking Zaun, Contreras got a groundout.

Adams led off the sixth with a double, but the Blue Jays didn’t capitalize, nor did they take advantage in the seventh when Cliff Politte and Marte combined to walk three batters. With a runner on and one out, Marte came in and struck out Koskie. Zaun and Eric Hinske walked before Rios grounded out.

Hudson singled leading off the eighth and Adams followed with the tying double that chased Marte. After Reed Johnson sacrificed, Rowand robbed Wells with a shoestring catch in center and Hillenbrand fouled out.

Notes: Hinske made a nice play at 1B in the fourth when he dived to his right to stop Konerko’s one-hopper. … After going 2-for-3 with two runs, Iguchi is 16-for-33 in his last nine games.

AP-ES-08-04-05 1750EDT