1 week Ago By Field Level Media
Paul DeJong hit his second home run in as many games as the Chicago White Sox salvaged a game in their three-game series, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 on Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Fla. In a 2-for-4 outing, the shortstop socked a two-run homer in the fifth off Rays starter Aaron Civale (2-3), and the White Sox tacked on two more in the sixth to snap their two-game losing skid.
Chicago's Bryan Ramos (double) and Tommy Pham had two hits and an RBI apiece. Andrew Vaughn and Andrew Benintendi each had two hits with a double. Chris Flexen (2-3) allowed one run on three hits in six innings to beat the Rays for the second time in two weeks.
He fanned eight and walked one. White Sox closer Michael Kopech allowed a single in the ninth but got a double play to end it for his third save in four chances. The Rays got two hits from Harold Ramirez and an RBI double by Isaac Paredes, but the club produced just four hits as its season-high, five-game winning streak ended.
Civale yielded two runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. Right-handed starters Civale and Flexen, both possessing different approaches, were nearly unhittable through the first three innings. After beating the Rays two starts ago at home, Flexen relied on a steady diet of fastballs to put away the first nine hitters for the home side.
Tampa Bay struck for a lone run in the fourth. Yandy Diaz opened the frame with a single and came around to score when Paredes stung a line-drive double to.
