Tampa Bay put scored runs against left-hander Dallas Keuchel — eight runs overall — as the Rays bounced back to defeat the White Sox on Saturday, 8-4.
At 76-48 on the season, Tampa Bay ended the day 28-games above .500 and four games up on the Yankees in the division.
Luis Patiño, who lasted just three innings against the Twins in his last outing, contained Chicago on Saturday thanks to an electric fastball. The right-hander allowed two runs on five scattered hits and a walk, with five punchouts on 91 pitches (59 strikes, 65% strike rate, 13% SwStr). Patiño adjusted well to the White Sox, who were on his off-speed stuff, deciding then to lean on his heater 75% of the time. The only damage against the right-hander came on a fourth-inning homer by Seby Zavala and Eloy Jiménez’s sixth-inning RBI single that followed José Abreu’s double — the first of which snapped a string of 11 straight batters retired by Patiño. He lowered his ERA to 4.53 to go with a 1.29 WHIP, and a 2.39 K/BB across 51.2 innings on the season.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay struck early and often, taking advantage of a break to score three in the first against Keuchel. After Nelson Cruz hit a one-out single to right, and Yandy Díaz lashed a two-out single to center, Wander Franco hit what appeared to be a routine groundout to third. Yet, the ball hit the third-base bag and deflected into left field for an RBI double. On the next pitch, Brandon Lowe blasted a two-run double to left-center for an early three-run lead.
It was a milestone hit for Franco, who has reached base in 23 consecutive games — the longest streak by a player that young since Ken Griffey Jr. reached in 25 straight games 31-years-ago. Meanwhile, Lowe has plated 22 runs in 19 August games.
Tampa Bay scored again in the second, and it all started when Mike Zunino walked then went to second on Joey Wendle’s single up the middle. Even though Randy Arozarena with 0-for-5 on the day, he was able to advance both runners on a deep flyout to left-center. Cruz followed with a liner to second, and while Cesar Hernandez made a good stop to prevent a two-RBI single, Zunino scored on the RBI groundout for a four-run advantage.
In the fourth, Zunino tripled to left-center with one out, while Wendle singled past a drawn-in infield for a 5-1 lead.
An inning later, Franco reached on a one-out infield hit to short, then scored on Manuel Margot’s two-out double to left-center. Franco awkwardly face-planted as he slid into home, however, the injury didn’t necessitate an early exit from the game.
J.T. Chargois worked around a pair of hits in the seventh inning, although the White Sox rallied in the eighth against Louis Head.
Cesar Hernandez led off the frame by looping a single to left-center, before Brian Goodwin — just 2-for-18 against Tampa Bay prior to the at-bat — doubled off the wall in center. Abreu cut the deficit to three on a sac-fly to right; Goodwin also advanced 90 feet. Enter Collin McHugh.
McHugh allowed an RBI groundout to Jiménez — an unearned run, if you’re keeping track — yet retired the final five batters he faced for his first big-league save.
Tampa Bay was able to tack on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of eighth after Lowe and Margot doubled off Mike Wright Jr., while a Zunino flyout and Wendle groundout capped the scoring.
The New What Next
Coming off the Injured List, Chris Archer (0-1, 6.23 ERA) will take the mound in the series finale, pitching opposite of Reynaldo Lopez (2-0, 1.08 ERA).
Chris Archer (forearm) has been on the shelf since early April. In his final rehab outing, Archer went 4.2 innings and allowed three runs on one hit and two walks while punching out six. He threw 71 pitches (45 strikes, 63% strike rate). In his two big-league starts in 2021, the right-hander maintains an unsightly 6.23 ERA, yet a 1.10 ERA across 0.0 innings, with a 1.85 WHIP, and a 6.00 K/BB.
Reynaldo Lopez tossed five scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out four. The right-hander gave up only one hit in the outing — a second-inning base hit to Matt Chapman — that was immediately wiped out by a double play. It should be noted that Lopez is still building up his pitch count. He has looked dominant since returning to the rotation to fill in for the injured Carlos Rodon (shoulder), pitching a total of eight scoreless frames in which he has surrendered just two hits while striking out eight. On the season, Lopez maintains a 1.08 ERA and a 3.49 FIP across 25.0 innings, with a 0.72 WHIP and a 3.71 K/BB. Superlatives aside, he is 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in three career starts against the Rays. Key Matchups: Ji-Man Choi (2-4, 2B, RBI, 2 BB), Nelson Cruz (5-14, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI), Kevin Kiermaier (3-8, BB), Brandon Lowe (1-2, 2B, BB), Austin Meadows (3-7, 3B, HR, RBI), Joey Wendle (2-3, 2 2B)
You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup and Noteworthiness are below.
Rays 8/22/21 Starting Lineup
- B. Lowe 2B
- Franco SS
- Cruz DH
- Choi 1B
- Meadows LF
- Arozarena RF
- Wendle 3B
- Kiermaier CF
- Mejía C
- Archer RHP
Noteworthiness
— The Rays have activated RHP Chris Archer (forearm tightness) from the 60-day IL. To make room on the active and 40-man rosters, RHP David Hess was designated for assignment.