Tampa Bay Rays bats were held to just six hits, while Danny Mendick‘s two run single proved to be the difference as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Rays 3-0 Tuesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Rays starter Shane McClanahan failed to have a clean inning Tuesday, as the White Sox had runners aboard in each of his five innings. Chicago got on the board in the fourth when McClanahan walked Andrew Vaughn with one out, and Leury Garcia followed with an infield single away from the shift. Brian Goodwin struck out, but Danny Mendick followed with an RBI single to left, and after Arozarena’s throw to the plate went through the wickets of Mejia and to the backstop, allowing Garcia to also score on the play.
Adam Engel added a solo homer off McClanahan leading off the fifth, his third of the year.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay could not get the offense started against White Sox starter Dallas Keuchel. The left-hander allowed just four hits and a walk in his seven innings of work, striking out five while throwing 102 pitches.
Aaron Bummer worked a scoreless eighth, and while Liam Hendriks allowed Tampa Bay to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth, he struck out Brandon Lowe and Joey Wendle to end the game and earn his 18th save.
The loss reduces the Rays’ lead in the American League East to two games over the Boston Red Sox.
Tampa Bay can still earn a series win over the White Sox with a win in Wednesday afternoon’s finale. Ryan Yarbrough (4-3, 3.63 ERA) will start against Lucas Giolito (5-5, 3.81 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 2:10.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
