Rays Top White Sox 8-3
CHICAGO (AP) — David Price struck out nine in winning for first time this season, Ben Zobrist hit a go-ahead RBI single in a three-run eighth spurred by Alex Rios' error and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Chicago White Sox 8-3 on Sunday.
The 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings. The Rays lost all five of Price's five previous starts this year and were the second team to lose in the first five starts by a reigning Cy Young winner. The Minnesota Twins lost in Frank Viola's first seven games in 1989.
Price (1-2) walked two and threw 119 pitches.
Jose Lobaton and Matt Joyce each homered for Tampa Bay, which improved to 4-9 on the road.
Zobrist also had an RBI single in the ninth and Evan Longoria added more insurance with a double to score Zobrist.
Paul Konerko hit a two-run home run for Chicago, who are 1-5 against left-handed starters.
The Rays took advantage of a key error by Rios, the right fielder, in the big eighth inning.
Sean Rodriguez led off the eighth with a single off White Sox reliever Nate Jones (0-2) and advanced to second on a wild pitch. One out later, he scored on Zobrist's single to break a 3-all tie. With two outs and bases loaded, Ryan Roberts hit a shallow fly to right, Rios came charging in, but he had the ball pop out of his mitt, allowing two runs to score and giving the Rays a 6-3 lead.
The White Sox have committed 16 errors in 24 games.
Rios hit a two-out single in the first inning, stole second and scored on Adam Dunn's single.
In the third inning, Lobaton homered on the first pitch he saw from White Sox starter Dylan Axelrod. It was his second of the season and tied the game at 1.
With two outs in the third, Konerko got the lead back for the White Sox with a long two-run shot off Price. The home run landed midway up the stands in left. It was his fourth of the season.
Price settled and retired the next nine White Sox batters in a row. The White Sox only had one hit after Konerko's home run, a single by Conor Gillaspie in the seventh.
Desmond Jennings led off the sixth with a ground-rule double to center and Joyce followed with a two-run homer to right to tie the game. It was his fourth of the season.
Axelrod allowed three runs and four hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked one.
NOTES: Alex Cobb is scheduled to start Tuesday at Kansas City. In his first full season in the majors, the 25-year old right-hander is 3-1 with a 1.82 ERA in four starts. He will be facing former Rays ace James Shields. ... Before the game, the White Sox placed starter Gavin Floyd on the disabled list with a flexor muscle strain in his right arm. Floyd left Saturday's 10-4 loss to Tampa Bay due to the injury with two outs in the third. ... White Sox LHP John Danks will begin a rehab assignment on Thursday with Double-A Birmingham. Danks had shoulder surgery in August 2012. ... On his off day, Rays RHP Jeremy Hellickson was ejected after the seventh inning after he yelled at home plate umpire Tom Hallion from the dugout. ... The White Sox struck out 12 times on Sunday.
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