If there is any element of payback in baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays exacted a measure of it on Monday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.
After losing three games in Chicago to the lowly White Sox two weekends ago, the Rays pounded them 8-2 and will look to do it again on Tuesday night in the middle game of a three-game set.
Outfielder Jonny DeLuca is the hot story for the Rays and has 10 RBIs in four games since being activated from the 10-day injured list, getting the game-winning hit in the 10th inning on Sunday and socking a two-run homer in Monday’s win.
After missing the first 35 games of the season due to a right oblique strain and hamstring tightness, outfielder Josh Lowe went 2-for-5 with a double in his season debut.
“My last couple of games (in Triple-A), I was really starting to turn the page and feel like I was getting hot with the bat and playing baseball at a level where I can come out here and compete,” Lowe said.
The Rays are scheduled to start right-hander Zach Eflin (1-4, 4.17 ERA) on Tuesday.
Following back-to-back scoreless starts last month against the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees, Eflin was roughed up in his April 26 outing against Chicago in the series opener. He gave up five runs (four earned) on nine hits and two walks in six innings as the White Sox won 9-4.
In four career appearances (three starts) against Chicago, Eflin is 1-1 with a 3.50 ERA.
The White Sox produced just four hits and committed two errors in Monday’s loss. Bryan Ramos got one of the four hits after being promoted from Double-A Birmingham over the weekend.
Ramos is 2-for-7 (.286) with a run and an RBI in the majors so far.
“He’s here to play,” Chicago manager Pedro Grifol said of the club’s No. 4 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. “It’s a good opportunity for him to experience this and a good opportunity for us to evaluate where he is in his development.”
Right-hander Michael Soroka is scheduled to get the start for the White Sox.
Soroka (0-3, 6.48) has run into some problems with his command through his first seven starts in the American League.
In 33 1/3 innings, Soroka has issued 19 walks to go along with just 16 strikeouts, leading to a career-worst WHIP of 1.620. He gave up three runs (two earned) and four hits in 5 1/3 innings in his only other start against Tampa Bay, a no-decision on July 29, 2020.
He has also allowed seven homers, including at least one in every start but his most recent one. Soroka gave up two runs on three hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings against the Minnesota Twins last Tuesday.
Grifol added right-hander Brad Keller to the rotation over the weekend in the series win against the Cardinals, though he was the losing pitcher on Friday in St. Louis’ only victory of the three-game set.
–Field Level Media
