Rays 7, White Sox 2
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays, held to one total run in their previous three losses, found their bats Saturday night, getting home runs from Brandon Guyer, Brad Miller and Desmond Jennings on the way to a 7-2 win over the Chicago White Sox at Tropicana Field.
Tampa Bay (4-7) had held the lead after a total of eight innings in their first 10 games, but did so for seven innings Saturday, getting strong pitching in 5 2/3 shutout innings from spot-starter Erasmo Ramirez. Chicago (8-3) had allowed only two runs in their last four games, and saw a five-game win streak come to an end.
The White Sox threatened in the seventh, getting a two-run home run from Brett Lawrie -- his first of the season -- off reliever Steve Geltz to cut the lead to 4-2. Pinch-hitter Jerry Sands singled, bringing the tying run to the plate in Austin Jackson, but reliever Xavier Cedeno struck him out to end the rally.
Danny Farquhar pitched a scoreless ninth for the Rays' first save of the season.
The Rays, who had a crowd of 30,451 for Kevin Kiermaier bobblehead night, got a bases-loaded single from Evan Longoria in the seventh to extend their lead to 5-2, and Jennings added a solo home run in the eighth. Miller added an RBI double in the eighth, with as many hits Saturday as in the Rays' first 10 games combined.
White Sox starter John Danks (0-2) gave up five earned runs in 6 1/3 innings, barely lowering an ERA that was 9.00 coming in.
Ramirez, who has worked as a reliever this year and was pressed into duty on a "bullpen" day, exceeded all hopes by taking a shutout into the sixth inning.
Ramirez left after 5 2/3 innings and 66 pitches, and was in line for the first win for a Rays starter this season. Ramirez faced the minimum in the first three innings, allowing a leadoff single to Adam Eaton but getting a double play to end the first inning.
Ramirez got into trouble in the fourth, hitting Jose Abreu with two outs, then seeing a pop fly to shallow right field against the shift drop in for a double, putting runners at second and third. Melky Cabrera hit a high pop into foul territory, and third baseman Evan Longoria reached into the stands to make the inning-ending grab.
Ramirez gave up just three hits, stepping up the first time the Rays needed more than their initial four-man rotation in the first month of the season.
The Rays, held to one run in their three-game losing streak, found their bats to help Ramirez. Brandon Guyer, stepping in for injured Kiermaier in center, hit a home run just inside the foul pole for a 1-0 lead in the third for his first RBI of the season.
The Rays struck for three runs in the fourth -- Steven Souza hit an RBI single to score Longoria, who had singled, and shortstop Brad Miller, hitting .069 with zero RBIs, hit a two-run homer for a 4-0 lead.
NOTES: The two Rays players' who collided going for a pop fly on Friday night -- CF Kevin Kiermaier and 2B Logan Forsythe -- were both out of Saturday's starting lineup, having left Friday's game after the mishap. Manager Kevin Cash said he's hopeful both players can be back Sunday. Kiermaier has a head contusion and Forsythe a bruise left hip and lower leg. ... The Rays gave all fans at Saturday's game a leaping bobblehead of Kiermaier, who was recognized before the game by Rawlings and formally given his Gold Glove and Platinum Glove, the latter given to the American League's top defensive player. ... LHP Chris Sale tossed a two-hit shutout on Friday to become just the fourth White Sox pitcher to get three wins in the team's first 10 games, joining Wilbur Wood (1972-73), Jack McDowell (1993) and Mark Buehrle (2002).