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Struggling Pena has 3 RBIs in Rays win

May 30, 2010 - 3:40 AM ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.(AP) -- Struggling slugger Carlos Pena made the most of a rare recent hit.

Pena drove in three runs, Wade Davis allowed three runs while pitching into the seventh inning and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Chicago White Sox 8-5 on Saturday night.

Pena hit a three-run double during a four-run fourth inning off John Danks (4-4) to put Tampa Bay up 6-2. The other run scored on Gabe Kapler's bunt.

"It feels good to contribute with a bat," Pena said. "There's still work for me to do. To be able to square the ball up at the right time, get a clutch hit, you almost have to do that with your heart when things are not working out at the plate mechanically or whatever it may be. Obviously the win feels awesome."

Pena has just 12 hits in 94 at-bats during May. The first baseman was 1 for 5, including two strikeouts, on Saturday.

"Big play," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "A zero-and-two count. He drives the opposite-field gap. A great at-bat on his part."

Davis (5-4) scattered six hits over 6 1-3 innings. The right-hander was coming off a loss to Boston last Monday in which he allowed five runs and seven hits in 3 2-3 innings.

"Had better command of the fastball and got some quicker outs," Davis said. "Having a good lead always helps."

Carlos Quentin and Alexei Ramirez homered for the White Sox, who are 4-17 - including 12 losses in the last 13 attempts - in games following a victory this season.

"It's been a struggle for us all year, but I don't think we've quit at all," Chicago second baseman Gordon Beckham said. "It's just not working out for us."

Tampa Bay, with the major's best record at 34-16, is 2-4 during a seven-game homestand. Rafael Soriano, the Rays' fourth reliever, pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

A solo homer by B.J. Upton and Sean Rodriguez's RBI bunt extended the Rays' advantage to 8-2 in the fifth. Upton has two homers in his last 35 games, and just four of his 20 RBIs this year have come at home.

"Finally. It's been a while," Upton said. "It felt pretty good."

Danks had won all four of his previous starts at Tampa Bay. The left-hander gave up eight runs and eight hits in four-plus innings.

"Without a doubt we're way too talented and tonight's a perfect example where we could have easily won a game," Danks said. "We scored five runs and I let us down. I take 100 percent blame for his one."

Danks threw 102 pitches.

"We've got to get those starters to do better because being in the bullpen every day, that's going to hurt the ballclub later in the season," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said.

The White Sox went up 2-1 on Quentin's two-run homer, his first since April 28, in the second. Ramirez had a solo shot during the seventh.

Paul Konerko had a run-scoring double and later scored on Dan Wheeler's wild pitch to get Chicago within 8-5 in the eighth.

Evan Longoria hit an RBI double in the first for the Rays. John Jaso had a third-inning run-scoring single.

NOTES: Rays SS Jason Bartlett left in the fourth with a strained right hamstring. He was hurt while attempting to field Quentin's single to center. "I personally don't think it's that bad," said Bartlett, who might have an MRI exam on Sunday. ... Guillen rejoined the team after attending the high school graduation of his son Ozney on Friday in Miami Gardens, Fla. "Being there was a special day for the family," Guillen said. "It was great. Feel proud." ... Chicago closer Bobby Jenks said his right calf, which he tweaked running on Friday, is much improved and that the injury is "nothing serious."