LDN - Sports

Gonzalez, White Sox shut out Rays

[September 29, 2016] CHICAGO -- An hour-plus rain delay didn't faze Chicago White Sox starter Miguel Gonzalez, who tossed a season-high 8 1/3 scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.

Gonzalez (5-8) had to contend with a 76-minute delay that began in the bottom of the third. He came back sharp and nearly worked a complete game before departing in favor of closer David Robertson after allowing a ninth-inning single.

"He pitched a heck of a game. I thought he was going to go the whole way," said Chicago third baseman Todd Frazier, who supplied the offense with a seventh-inning home run. "One inning I think he had four pitches, just motoring guys down left and right and hitting his spots and throwing strikes."

The White Sox right-hander allowed just three hits, struck out five and walked none while snapping a two-game losing streak.

"It's always good to finish strong," said Gonzalez, who threw 102 pitches. "It's been a while since I had been on in the ninth inning. They were swinging early, we made some good pitches early on, we got some quick outs. That's what got me to the ninth."

Robertson shut down the Rays and earned his 37th save with one pitch as Kevin Kiermaier grounded into a game-ending double play.

Frazier's homer was his 40th of the season and extended a hitting streak to 12 games, the longest by any White Sox player this year. He is the seventh player in White Sox history reach 40 homers in a season.

"I'm happy, I'm excited," Frazier said. "Not many people hit 40 home runs in a year, so it's a good feat to happen."

Frazier's homer to left came with two outs off Rays reliever Eddie Gamboa.

Gamboa (0-2) took the loss after working three innings and giving up one run on two hits. He walked two and struck out a pair.

The victory was the fifth straight for the White Sox (77-81), while the Rays (65-93) took their sixth loss in a row and were shut out for the 10th time this season.

Tampa Bay had three hits, while Chicago had five.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said it was a tough night to hit.

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"Windy, cold, wet, a lot of balls off the end (of the bat) and a lot of balls off the hands," he said. "I think you've got to credit Miguel Gonzalez for that also."

Rain delayed the start 21 minutes, and play finally got underway with a game-time temperature of 57 degrees.

Tampa Bay threatened in the top of the third as Richie Shaffer doubled to left with one out and reached third on Luke Maile's grounder to short. However, Logan Forsythe's flyout to right left Shaffer stranded.

The precipitation resumed, and the game was again delayed with two outs and no score in the bottom of the third inning.

Rays left-handed starter Blake Snell did not return and was replaced by right-hander Ryan Garton. Snell threw 42 pitches through 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Garton went on to work 1 1/3 scoreless innings before he was replaced by Gamboa in the fifth.

NOTES: Tampa Bay CF Kevin Kiermaier was back in the lineup after missing two games with a hand injury. He went 0-for-4. ... RHP Chase Whitley (0-0, 1.74 ERA) will get Tampa Bay's final start of the season on Sunday at Texas. "He's deserving of it," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. ... The Rays send RHP Chris Archer (8-19, 4.02 ERA) against White Sox LHP Jose Quintana (13-11 3.20 ERA) in Thursday's series finale. Archer hopes to avoid becoming the majors' 202nd all-time 20-game loser while Quintana needs five strikeouts to top his career high of 178. ... Robin Ventura's tenure as White Sox manager may extend beyond the final four games of the 2016 season. A published report on Wednesday said Chicago management will offer a contract to Ventura if he wants to return. Ventura declined comment, saying he preferred to wait until season's end.

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