Rays 11, White Sox 3
CHICAGO -- The marquee pitching matchup between Chris Sale and Chris Archer turned out to be one-sided in favor of Archer and the Tampa Bay Rays, who beat the Chicago White Sox 11-3 on Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field.
Archer did his part by throwing seven dominant innings for the win, but Sale was roughed up for seven runs in just 5 1/3 innings -- his second straight outing allowing seven runs and taking a loss.
Archer struck out seven and yielded just one run on a solo homer by Chicago third baseman Tyler Saladino in the third. He walked one and gave up five hits. Archer came into the game 0-4 in his past six starts, despite allowing two-or-fewer runs in four of the outings and lasting at least six innings in each.
This time, he got plenty of run support despite Sale pitching for Chicago (50-55).
Sale struck out nine in 5 1/3 innings to retain his lead over Archer in strikeouts in the American League (186-180), but that was the extent of the positives during another uncharacteristic performance.
The fire-balling lefty, who gave up seven runs on 12 hits in five innings July 30 at the Boston Red Sox, allowed two runs on a home run by Rays first baseman Logan Forsythe in the first. He gave up another homer in the fifth by right fielder Mikie Mahtook and then was charged with four of the five runs Tampa Bay scored in the sixth to take a commanding 8-0 lead.
It was the third straight loss for the White Sox, who are 1-4 on a six-game homestand that followed a 7-1 showing on their last road trip.
The Rays (54-54) got back to .500 with their third straight win and have a chance to sweep the series Wednesday.
Along with the home runs by Forsythe and Mahtook, the Rays got back-to-back solo homers in the seventh from shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and third baseman Richie Shaffer -- whose shot to right field was his first hit and home run in the majors.
Right-handed reliever Daniel Webb allowed each of those home runs and gave up three runs on six hits in just 1 1/3 innings of relief.
Eight Tampa Bay players drove in runs, led by Forsythe (1-for-4) and center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (3-for-5) -- who each had two RBIs. Cabrera went 2-for-4 with an RBI and scored three runs and catcher Rene Rivera went 3-for-5 with an RBI.
Saladino went 2-for-4 with the home run and right fielder Avisail Garcia went 2-for-4 with a solo homer to lead the White Sox.
NOTES: Rays manager Kevin Cash said LHP Drew Smyly will make at least two more starts during his rehab stint in the minors, with the next scheduled outing Thursday for Triple-A Durham. Smyly is on the 15-day disabled list recovering from a torn labrum in his left shoulder. ... Cash said OF Desmond Jennings (bursitis in left knee) is progressing well during his rehab stint in the minors at Triple-A Durham. Cash said it will still take some time for Jennings to get his timing back at the plate and didn't say when he expected to get him back on the Rays' active roster. ... White Sox manager Robin Ventura isn't concerned about some recent hiccups on his pitching staff, which had allowed 31 runs in the first four games of this homestand. ... Ventura said rookie OF Trayce Thompson is a candidate to start in the series finale Wednesday. If so, LF Melky Cabrera might be moved to the DH role. Thompson made his major league debut Tuesday as a pinch hitter.