Gonzalez pitches White Sox to shutout win over Rays
CHICAGO -- Todd Frazier's 40th home run of the season snapped a seventh-inning scoreless tie while starter Miguel Gonzalez worked 8 1/3 scoreless innings as the Chicago White Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 on Wednesday.
Gonzalez (5-8) earned the victory with his season-high effort that included sitting out an hour-plus rain delay.
He allowed three hits, struck out five and walked none while snapping a two-game losing streak.
White Sox reliever David Robertson shut down the Rays and earned his 37th save with one pitch as Kevin Kiermaier grounded into a game-ending double play.
Frazier's solo homer to left was his 40th of the season and came with two out off Rays reliever Eddie Gamboa.
Gamboa (1-1) took the loss after working three innings while giving up one run on two hits. He walked two and struck out a pair.
The victory was the fifth straight for the White Sox (77-81) while the Rays (65-93) have dropped six in a row.
Tampa Bay had three hits while Chicago had five.
Rain delayed the start of the game 21 minutes, and play finally got under way with a game-time temperature of 57 degrees.
Tampa Bay threatened in the top of the third as Richie Shaffer doubled to left with one out and reached third on Luke Maile's grounder to short. However, Logan Forsythe's flyout to right left Shaffer stranded.
The precipitation resumed, and the game was again delayed with two outs and no score in the bottom of the third inning. Play restarted at 9:32 p.m. CT following a 1-hour, 16-minute delay.
Rays left-handed starter Blake Snell did not return and was replaced by right-hander Ryan Garton. Snell threw 42 pitches through 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Garton went on to work 1 1/3 scoreless innings before he was replaced by Gamboa in the fifth.
NOTES: Tampa Bay CF Kevin Kiermaier was back in the lineup after missing two games with a hand injury. ... RHP Chase Whitley (0-0, 1.74 ERA) will get Tampa Bay's final start of the season on Sunday at Texas. "He's deserving of it," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. ... The Rays send RHP Chris Archer (8-19, 4.02 ERA) against White Sox LHP Jose Quintana (13-11 3.20 ERA) in Thursday's series finale. Archer hopes to avoid becoming the majors' 202nd all-time 20-game loser while Quintana needs five strikeouts to top his career high of 178. ... Robin Ventura's tenure as White Sox manager may extend beyond the final four games of the 2016 season. A published report on Wednesday said Chicago management will offer a contract to Ventura if he wants to return. Ventura declined comment, saying he preferred to wait until season's end.