White Sox 1 - 2 Rays
Final
  for this game

Rays hope to break out brooms against White Sox

Jun 14, 2015 - 12:36 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago White Sox will try to bounce back from consecutive losses against the Tampa Bay Rays Sunday as the two American League squads meet at Tropicana Field in the final contest of a three-game series.

Dominant lefty Chris Sale gets the starting nod for the White Sox, while the Rays counter with Nathan Karns.

Sale is one of the hottest pitchers in baseball coming into this start. The big 6-foot-6 left-hander has struck out 10 or more batters in four consecutive starts, and has reached that plateau 23 times now in his career. He brings a 6-2 record into Sunday's matchup with a 3.04 earned run average, 92 strikeouts and just 17 walks.

The White Sox's star pitcher is coming off one of his better starts of the season Monday, although he did give up his first run to an opponent in three outings. Sale lasted eight innings against the Astros, and surrendered one run on five hits with a season-high 14 strikeouts.

"We drew a walk against him, and it was like a celebration on the bench," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "He doesn't allow baserunners."

In six career games against Tampa Bay, including four starts, Sale is 2-2 with a 3.67 ERA, 40 strikeouts and 11 walks in 27 innings of work.

Tampa Bay's counterpart is Karns, who is off to a good start to the season. Karns brings a 3-3 mark into the contest with a 3.86 ERA and 60 strikeouts.

The 27-year-old righty hasn't picked up a win, however, since May 13. Karns is coming off a Tuesday loss to the Angels, in which he gave up five runs (four earned) on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings of work. He's 0-2 in his last four outings.

It was another thrilling finish in Tampa Saturday afternoon, when the Rays made a comeback to nab a 5-4 victory.

Both the starting pitchers in the game allowed three runs, each working seven innings before giving up the mound. Chris Archer struck out five and allowed five hits for the Rays, while Jeff Samardzija fanned seven and scattered six hits. Neither was tagged with the decision.

"I think it starts with what (Archer) provided again," said Rays manager Kevin Cash. "Where he's been over his last couple starts, he's just dominating."

Chicago struck first when Jose Abreu singled in the first to score Alexei Ramirez. The sides traded leads until the bottom of the eighth, when Tampa pulled ahead, 5-4, on a Jake Elmore infield single that scored Steven Souza Jr. after Ramirez committed a throwing error.

Evan Longoria provided two runs in the contest to help his Rays. Conor Gillaspie pinch hit for Geovany Soto for Chicago and was able to drive in two runs in the game.

Each team recorded nine hits in the contest, while Chicago's lone error cost the White Sox the lead in the eighth.

Tampa Bay now owns the 2-0 season lead over Chicago, and will go for the three-game sweep Sunday.






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