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White Sox beat Rays for 7th straight win

May 30, 2012 - 5:10 AM St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Philip Humber tossed seven strong innings while Dayan Viciedo had a home run, two RBI and scored three times to lead the Chicago White Sox past the Tampa Bay Rays, 7-2, on Tuesday.

Humber (2-2) allowed two runs on five hits and a walk with five strikeouts in Chicago's seventh straight win, including two to begin this three-game series.

Alexei Ramirez added two RBI and a run scored in the victory.

"We're playing good. We're swinging the bats pretty good and getting good pitching. Anytime any team does that you're going to have a chance to win every game," White Sox designated hitter Adam Dunn said.

James Shields (6-3) was touched for six runs -- five earned -- on 10 hits and a walk over six innings. He also struck out eight in the Rays' third loss in four games.

Hideki Matsui made his season debut for Tampa Bay after signing a minor league contract on April 30 and went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer.

"He looked really good. I thought he had good swings all night and good at- bats," Rays manager Joe Maddon said about Matsui.

Matsui hammered a first-pitch fastball into the right field bleachers for a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning. Matt Joyce led off the frame with a walk prior to Matsui's two-out blast.

Chicago answered in the fifth after Viciedo singled, moved to third on an errant pickoff attempt by Shields and crossed the plate on Ramirez's base hit up the middle.

Ramirez was later stranded on third to keep it a 2-1 game, but after Tampa Bay failed to extend its lead in the bottom of the fifth by stranding a man on second, the White Sox went on top on the sixth.

Dunn started the rally with a leadoff walk, moved to second on an Alex Rios one-out single and came home the next batter on A.J. Pierzynski's base hit to right.

A Shields wild pitch placed runners on second and third before Viciedo pulled a ball through the left side of the infield to score Rios. Ramirez then doubled in Pierzynski before Viciedo came home on Orlando Hudson's single and Alejandro De Aza beat out a potential double-play grounder to score Ramirez and give Chicago a 6-2 advantage.

"They swarmed on us a little bit," Maddon said about the sixth inning. "Everything was well placed, but they were good at-bats."

Viciedo's solo shot over the left-center field wall in the eight inning finalized the scoring as the Rays left a man on second in the home eighth before Hector Santiago worked a scoreless ninth to seal the win.

Game Notes

The White Sox have not won seven straight games since August 30-September 6, 2010...Humber improved to 2-1 in four appearances -- three starts -- against Tampa Bay...Chicago is has won eight of its last nine road games and has a 16-9 mark on the road this season...White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko went 0-for-4 to snap a 14-game hit streak...Tampa Bay went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.