The Chicago White Sox can do something Monday that they have not achieved in more than a year when they travel to play the Tampa Bay Rays.
Chicago comes out of the All-Star break having recorded its first sweep of the season, taking three games on the road against the Pittsburgh Pirates in dominating fashion. Capped by Sunday’s 7-2 victory, the White Sox outscored their hosts 27-7 over the weekend to record the team’s first road sweep in more than three years.
Sunday’s starting pitcher Aaron Civale said the four-day break last week benefited the team.
“It’s hard to get away from this game for one day, so for a lot of guys, it’s a good reset,” said Civale, who earned his first victory with the club on Sunday. The righty allowed only one unearned run across six innings and struck out a season-high six against just three hits and a walk.
Miguel Vargas was one of the hitting stars for the White Sox over the weekend. The infielder went 4-for-13 in the three games, with two doubles Saturday and a double and three-run homer on Sunday. He scored five times in the sweep.
Rookie Sean Burke (4-8, 4.36 ERA) will try to give the White Sox their first four-game winning streak since May 2024. The 25-year-old faces the Rays for the first time. He’s coming off a no-decision against the Cleveland Guardians on July 12, when he gave up two runs on three hits and a pair of walks over five innings while notching five strikeouts.
Chicago’s sweep will not turn the tide on this season as the team (35-65) is 30 games under .500 through the first 100 contests. Still, it shows the White Sox have improved from last season’s franchise-worst 41-121 campaign.
The Rays saw their hopes for a series sweep dashed on Sunday when the visiting Baltimore Orioles beat them 5-3.
All-Star Junior Caminero struck out with the bases loaded to end Sunday’s game, but he was electric during the rest of the series. He went 6-for-14 with two homers and five RBIs. Yandy Diaz finished 6-for-10 with a homer, four RBIs and five runs scored.
Tampa starter Shane Baz (8-5, 4.17) will see the White Sox for the first time in his career.
The right-hander, 26, has lost two straight starts but pitched well in both. In his last start, he gave up the only run in a 1-0 road loss to the Boston Red Sox on July 12. The Red Sox, who were in the middle of a 10-game winning streak, managed only five hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings versus Baz, who struck out three.
At 52-48, the Rays are in fourth place in the American League East and 6 1/2 games back of division-leading Toronto Blue Jays. However, they trail the Red Sox and Seattle Mariners by only 1 1/2 games for the last two AL wild-card spots.
While Rays starter Ryan Pepiot gave up all five runs in the loss Sunday and was disappointed he could not pitch the Rays to a sweep, he told the Tampa Bay Times that the team enjoyed a good weekend.
“We still won the series,” he said. “If you win every single series, at the end of the season, you’re going to be in pretty good shape.”
–Field Level Media
