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Sonnanstine, Rays silence White Sox

Apr 20, 2008 - 2:58 AM ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- For the Tampa Bay Rays, success against Mark Buehrle has been hard to come by. Perhaps all they needed the whole time was a career-best performance from Andy Sonnanstine.

Sonnanstine tossed his first career complete game, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 5-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.

In 12 career appearances entering this game, Buehrle (1-2) was 6-1 against Tampa Bay, with all but one of those victories coming at Tropicana Field. However, he was no match on Saturday for 24-year-old Sonnanstine, who tossed a three-hitter for his first career shutout.

Chicago had just one baserunner reach second.

"Sonnanstine just pounded the strike zone," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "He mixed in his off-speed pitches appropriately and was just more aggressive. That's the way he has pitched his whole life and he showed why he has been successful to this point of his career."

Sonnanstine (2-1) forced the White Sox - who lead the American League in home runs - into 15 groundouts while facing just two more than the minimum in a 107-pitch outing that took just 2:02 to complete - a Tropicana Field record.

"I was trying," said Sonnanstine when asked about getting the game in under two hours. "Tonight, I didn't stray from the plan and I'm very happy. I pitched off the fastball and, coincidentally, the slider was better. So was the two-seamer. Everything was sharper because of the fastballs."

The effort was particularly gratifying after surrendering at least four runs in each of his first three outings this season, including Monday's start vs. the New York Yankees in which he allowed seven runs over just 3 1/3 innings.

"Anytime you have a bad (game), you want to come back with a quality start," Sonnanstine said. "So I was definitely motivated tonight."

"He made an adjustment and knew what he did wrong, getting away from his gameplan (in his last outing)," Maddon said. "He made the adjustment and that was just beyond expectation tonight."

A botched second-inning rundown cost the White Sox three runs.

Jonny Gomes was hit by a pitch from Buehrle with two outs in the second. He was caught leaning toward second on Buehrle's pick-off throw to first, but Chicago failed to get him out and Gomes took second.

"It's frustrating," Buehrle said. "For a guy like me that gets hit...I need every out. I need defense behind me. I have to make better pitches to get them out. I just wasn't on top of my game tonight."

Gomes scored when the next batter, Eric Hinske, hit an RBI single.

Shawn Riggans, Jason Bartlett and Akinori Iwamura each followed with singles of their own, with the last two each plating a run for Tampa Bay.

"We got some key knocks tonight," Maddon said. "When Jon (Jonny Gomes) got out of the rundown and Hinske's base hit, Riggans swung the bat well. We had good at-bats - even the ones we had for outs."

The Rays tacked on insurance runs in the fourth with a sacrifice fly by Riggans and the seventh on an RBI double by B.J. Upton.

Upton finished with three hits for the Rays, who stopped their six-game losing streak to the White Sox.