The Rays came out of this one with 11 hits, one walk and only one run to show for it, and that tells you just about everything you need to know about how the night went. The contact was there, but the damage never followed. Most of the hits were singles, and nearly all of them came from the same three bats - Vilade, Caminero and Simpson - while the rest of the lineup never found a way to turn traffic into runs.
That left the Rays chasing from the jump after a rough first inning for Jax. With two outs and runners on, he still had a chance to escape without a scratch, but he bobbled a dribbler and couldn’t get the force at first, letting a run cross.
Then the infield couldn’t turn a double steal, and another run came home. Chicago had a 2-0 lead before the game had really settled in.
The White Sox added to it in the fourth when Benintendi connected for a solo homer. Tampa Bay had its best opening to answer right there in the bottom half, loading the bases on three singles. One of the few loud swings of the night came from Caminero, who lined a ball at 111 mph that was caught at the warning track, but Williamson and DeLuca couldn’t cash in the chance.
Chicago kept pushing the gap wider in the sixth. Craig Kimbrel came on for Jax and looked like he might work a clean frame after two quick outs, but then came a walk, then another walk, and then a hard-hit double that cleared the bases for two more runs and made it 5-0.
The Rays again put three singles together in the bottom of the inning, but with two outs Williamson grounded weakly to short and the inning ended with nothing to show for it.
From there, the White Sox kept stacking on. Alex Cook, working his second inning, gave up a two-run homer to Everson Pereira. Then Chris Roycroft entered and surrendered another two-run shot, this one to Miguel Vargas, pushing Chicago all the way to nine.
The Rays finally got on the board in the ninth when Ben Williamson hit a solo homer, and there was at least a little comic relief when three White Sox fielders tangled themselves up chasing a foul ball. One of them made the catch, nobody got hurt, and the game was already long gone anyway.
In Other News...
Rays Linked To An All-Star Bat Who Could Change Everything
A familiar trade-market name is starting to surface again, and it makes sense for a Rays club always looking for ways to squeeze more offense out of its roster. According to USA Todays Bob Nightengale, Tampa Bay is viewed as the heavy favorite to land a three-time batting champion from San Francisco, with the Giants expected to sell and several contenders monitoring the situation.
The appeal is obvious for a Rays team that values contact, versatility and run creation in the margins. Philadelphia, Boston and Texas are also said to be in the mix, so Tampa Bay is not alone here, but any move that adds that kind of bat would reshape the conversation around the lineup in a hurry. For now, it is a matter of whether the Rays can turn a strong position into an actual deal. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Catching Picture Just Got A Lot More Interesting
The Rays have been busy reshaping the roster, and their latest move adds another layer to a catching mix that already had some intrigue. According to MLB insider Jeff Passan, Tampa Bay has landed Liam Hicks from the Miami Marlins, continuing a stretch of aggression that also brought in starter Freddy Peralta from the New York Mets.
Hicks is expected to give the Rays more flexibility behind the plate and in the defensive alignment, while also adding some offense to a lineup that can always use another productive bat. For a club that has spent the week making clear it wants more depth and more options, this is the kind of move that could matter in more ways than one, especially once the full catching picture comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Just Missed On A Deadline Target That Could Sting
The trade deadline brought another aggressive move in Philadelphia, where the Phillies continued adding to their roster by landing second baseman Luis Arraez and reliever Caleb Kilian from the Giants for starting pitcher Ramon Marquez and reliever Marty Gair. They also separately added pitcher Brooks Raley from the Mets, underscoring how active they were in the final stretch before the deadline and how quickly the market can move when contenders start picking off available talent.
For the Rays, the larger takeaway may be less about what the Phillies gained than where this particular player ended up. Arraez had been a name on Tampa Bays radar, and for a while the club looked like it had a real shot to bring him in before the deal swung in another direction. In a deadline market built on thin margins and fast decisions, missing on a target like that can linger, especially when the player fits so neatly into the kind of lineup the Rays like to build. [Read more 🡒]