Eflin allows 1 run in 7 innings as Rays beat White Sox 5-1 for 5th consecutive win

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Zach Eflin allowed one run and six hits in seven innings as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Chicago White Sox 5-1 on Tuesday night for their fifth consecutive win.

Eflin (2-4) lost the shutout when Paul DeJong homered with two outs in the seventh.

The right-hander worked out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the fifth by getting a flyball from Gavin Sheets on a 3-0 pitch. Eflin also retired Sheets on a grounder with two on and two outs in the seventh.

Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes homered for the Rays, who moved over .500 at 19-18.

The AL-worst White Sox (8-28) have dropped the first two games of the series to fall 20 games under .500, equaling a season high. Chicago swept a three-game series from the Rays at home April 26-28.

Arozarena put the Rays up 4-0 on a two-run homer off Michael Soroka (0-4) in the third. The 2023 AL All-Star has three homers in his last five games and has raised his batting average from .143 to .152 during the series with Chicago.

Harold Ramírez had an RBI single in a two-run second.

Soroka allowed four runs, three hits and four walks over five innings.

Paredes made it 5-0 on a solo homer off Brad Keller in the sixth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: RHP Ryan Pepiot, hit on the left calf by a 107.5 mph liner off the bat of Mets outfielder Starling Marte on Sunday, is scheduled to undergo another CT scan. “Pepiot came in a little sorer than we anticipated,” manager Kevin Cash said. … Tampa Bay closer Pete Fairbanks (nerve-related hand issues) allowed two hits over a scoreless inning in his initial appearance with Triple-A Durham. … 2B Brandon Lowe (right oblique strain) doubled in two at-bats in his first game with Durham.

UP NEXT

White Sox RHP Chris Flexen (1-3, 4.85 ERA) and Rays RHP Aaron Civale (2-2, 6.14) are Wednesday night’s starters. Civale has allowed 18 runs in 13 2/3 innings over his last three starts.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB