One crew made essentially the most of its alternatives with the bases loaded Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The different didn’t.
The Tampa Bay Rays drew two bases-loaded walks and scored runs on an error and a single throughout a four-run first inning.
The Chicago White Sox loaded the bases within the fourth and fifth however got here away with just one run in every inning on the way in which to falling 9-3 within the collection finale in entrance of 17,798.
Sox starter Vince Velasquez allowed 4 runs (three earned) on 5 hits with 5 strikeouts and three walks in 4⅔ innings.
“Unfortunately the first inning just kind of bit me in the butt a little bit,” Velasquez stated. “The fact that I limited the damage and kept them within four, I’m pleased with. But still, it comes down to the execution part, knowing that I could’ve executed a little bit better.”
The Rays loaded the bases with one out within the first and Velasquez walked Yandy Díaz. Josh Lowe hit a grounder again to Velasquez, who gave the impression to be getting in place to throw dwelling. But as an alternative of a attainable inning-ending double play, Velasquez couldn’t deal with the comebacker and was charged with an error.
“I’m one of those athletes, I can pop off the mound,” Velasquez stated. “I like leaping off, I like speaking with my infield to see the place they’re at, understanding that I can attain these balls.
“But it kind of hit me in the palm a little bit. Didn’t have a full grip on it. I could’ve contained that inning.”
Manuel Margot drove in a run with a single, and Velasquez walked Kevin Kiermaier to deliver dwelling one other run and make it 4-0.
After the bumpy begin, Velasquez retired 13 of the ultimate 15 batters he confronted.
“That was the highlight of the day,” Sox supervisor Tony La Russa stated. “He was really upset. He’s a very conscientious guy and he gutted it out. He gave us a great chance, but we couldn’t do enough offensively.”
The Sox had possibilities to get again within the sport, however the Rays made massive performs early — reminiscent of Lowe leaping on the wall in left-center to rob Tim Anderson to start the underside of the primary.
“That catch was impressive,” Rays supervisor Kevin Cash stated. “I thought that was a no-doubt homer. It’s good thing it was cold and the wind was blowing the other way. But Josh being 6-foot-4, he got up there pretty good.”
The Sox have been hitless till José Abreu singled with one out within the fourth. Two walks adopted and Gavin Sheets obtained hit by a pitch, bringing dwelling Abreu.
Josh Harrison struck out in a nine-pitch at-bat and Jake Burger grounded right into a pressure at second for the ultimate out.
The Sox loaded the bases once more with one out one inning later. Yasmani Grandal popped out. But with Eloy Jiménez up, Adam Engel scored on a handed ball to make it 4-2. Anderson and Abreu moved up a base on the sequence.
Anderson tried to attain later in Jiménez’s at-bat when a pitch obtained away from Francisco Mejía. The Rays catcher recovered in time and flipped the ball to reliever Jalen Beeks, who tagged the sliding Anderson earlier than he might contact the plate.
“They pitched well, (but) even when they pitched well, we can do better,” La Russa stated. “We didn’t have a good day offensively. But it’s easier to pitch in games like this than it is to hit (the temperature at first pitch was 41 degrees). They didn’t score any more until the last, so tough day to be a hitter as well.”
The Rays scored 4 within the eighth and one within the ninth to keep away from being swept within the three-game collection. The Sox have been restricted to a few hits — singles by Abreu and Engel and a ninth-inning homer by Sheets.
“Facing a different guy every at-bat is always tough,” Sheets stated. “You wish to get a starter and see him as soon as, twice, 3 times even and also you type of decide up on what he’s obtained. It’s bizarre going through simply relievers each time. You can’t actually get settled in. You simply belief the scouting experiences and prepare to go.
“It’s a super fundamentally sound team, top to bottom. Great relievers, good starters as well. It’s a tough matchup and it’s teams like that that make it to October. It’s always good to get a series win against a team like that.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com