Another Chris Sale start, another no-show by the offense, another poor effort by the defense, another loss. In what seems to be a running theme when Chris Sale takes the hill, the defense cost the White Sox early and absolutely no hitting showed up to help him. Throw in a poor baserunning play by Alejandro De Aza to help get Tampa starter Matt Moore off the hook, and you have a snapshot of the 2013 season.
After the Sox wasted a Jeff Keppinger lead off double in the top of the second, Yunel Escobar started off the bottom half with a single. Jose Lobaton followed with a soft grounder to Conor Gillaspie, but he booted it putting two men on. Luke Scott then smashed a double down the line to bring home Escobar. After a Sam Fuld strikeout, Desmond Jennings hit a slow chopper that Gillaspie made a fine play on, but Lobaton scored to give the Rays a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the third, the Sox had a golden opportunity to get back in the game. Alejandro De Aza was drilled with a pitch on the wrist and after a De Aza-like delay, he took his base. Alexei Ramirez followed with a walk and the pair moved up on a wild pitch. Alex Rios then hit a soft liner right to Evan Longoria for one out, but for some reason De Aza broke home and by the time he regrouped, Longoria dove to the bag and beat him for the double play. Adam Dunn followed with a long fly ball that Fuld hauled in on the track to end the inning.
Sale and Moore both settled down and pitched very well until the bottom of the sixth. Wil Myers led off by smashing a ball right back at Sale that hit his glove and trickled away for a lead off single. After an Escobar fly out and with Lobaton at the plate, Myers broke for second. Lobaton swung and hit a chopper to Gillaspie who fired across to Dunn for the out. However, Myers broke towards third and made it without a throw from Dunn. After Luke Scott was hit by an errant slider, Fuld singled up the middle to bring home Myers to make it 3-0.
After a one-out Ramirez single in the eighth, Dunn put a charge into one that was hauled in on the track in left to end the inning and that was it for the Sox as Fernando Rodney threw a perfect ninth to record the save.
* Prior to the game, Jesse Crain and Sale were named to the All-Star team.
* Sale threw 118 pitches following a 123 pitch effort on Sunday. The Sox were shutout in both games.
* Josh Phegley was on the bench and Tyler Flowers was in the lineup. Flowers went 0-3.
* Gordon Beckham and Alexei Ramirez each had two hits.
Record: 34-50 | Box