White Sox Sweep Rays 8-7
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Daniel Palka hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth inning and the Chicago White Sox completed their first three-game sweep in a year by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 8-7 on Sunday. It was Chicago's first three-game sweep since Aug. 8-10, 2017 against Houston. The White Sox's last three-game road sweep occurred April 25-27, 2016 at Toronto.
Palka had struck out in each of his first four at-bats before connecting on his 17th homer off Diego Castillo (2-2) with two outs.
Hector Santiago (4-3) went the final 1 1/3 innings for the win.
C.J Cron had a leadoff double in the ninth off Santiago and scored one out later on Kevin Kiermaier's two-base hit. After Brandon Lowe walked, Jesus Sucre hit into a double play.
Tampa Bay tops the majors in one-run losses (26) and one-run games (46).
Avisail Garcia had a solo homer in a two-run fifth and made it 6-4 on another solo shot during the seventh for the White Sox. It was his eighth career multi-homer game.
Ji-Man Choi tied it at 6-all with a two-run single in the seventh, an inning that saw the White Sox use four relievers.
Chicago starter James Shields left with a two-run lead but was denied his first road win since opening day. The one-time Tampa Bay ace threw a season-high 114 pitches, allowing four runs, five hits and four walks over six innings.
Tim Anderson had two RBI singles for the White Sox.
Joey Wendle had three hits, including a first-inning RBI single and a solo homer in the fifth that pulled the Rays within 5-4.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rays: INF Daniel Robertson saw a hand specialist and will have what is expected to be season-ending surgery this week on his sprained left thumb.
He was hurt sliding into second on a double Friday night. "It's disappointing, very disappointing," Robertson said.
LHP Blake Snell (left shoulder fatigue) reported no issues after making his first start Saturday since the All-Star Game on July 17th. He also downplayed any concern about his lower leg, which was struck by Jose Abreu's first-inning single, saying it was fine.
LINEUP CHANGE
Mallex Smith replaced struggling Kiermaier as the Rays' leadoff hitter and went 4 for 5. Smith entered hitting .291 with a .363 on-base percentage, compared to Kiermaier's .188 average and .266 O-B-P. "KK has been really accountable," manager Kevin Cash said. "He was actually the one who came up and said 'I don't feel like I'm getting it done.'" Kiermaier was dropped to sixth and doubled in four at-bats and walked once.
UP NEXT
White Sox: RHP Dylan Covey (4-7) will face New York Yankees RHP Lance Lynn (7-8) Monday night.
Rays: RHP Tyler Glasnow (0-0) will make his second since being acquired from Pittsburgh in the Chris Archer trade against Baltimore Tuesday night.
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