LDN - Sports

Controversial HR helps White Sox snap slide

[June 07, 2017] ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Chicago White Sox ended their five-game losing streak Tuesday night, getting a phantom home run to open the game and edging the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 at Tropicana Field.

The Rays (29-31) dropped their fourth straight and fell two games under .500 for the first time in two weeks.

Yolmer Sanchez led off the game for the White Sox (25-31) with a shot to center field that landed in the field of play but was called a home run and upheld upon review. Sanchez's line drive looked to be headed to right-center, and center fielder Kevin Kiermaier misread it as the ball dropped behind him in straightaway center field.

Sanchez stopped at third base but was waved home as if the ball had hit one of the catwalks above the field. Replays seemed to show it didn't hit anything, but the call was upheld and Sanchez got his third home run and a 1-0 lead.

"I saw a routine fly ball that didn't even get to the warning track. Definitely the shortest home run probably in major league history," said Rays starter Chris Archer, still upset about the call and the lack of a reversal on review. "For us to have a rule to have replay and not get the call right, and put the team behind the 8-ball is a bit ridiculous for me in my opinion. ...

"I'm not a firm believer in statcast, but it said the apex of the ball was 63 feet off the ground. We don't have anything in Tropicana Field that's 63 feet off the ground. There's just a lot wrong with it."

White Sox manager Rick Renteria said he thought it was clear something had shifted the path of the ball, taking no issue with the call that gave his team its only run for the first six innings.

"It hit and it deviated ... It clearly hit something in that general area," Renteria said. "They had ruled it as a home run ... it hit what it needed to hit for us to get the call."

Chicago's Todd Frazier led off the ninth with his ninth home run after the Rays pulled within a run on a night when the Tampa Bay bullpen again struggled to get out of inning unscathed.

David Robertson pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his ninth save.

The Rays had plenty of chances, loading the bases in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings, but came away with only one run.

Jesus Sucre, who grounded into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the sixth, got a sacrifice fly in the eighth to cut the deficit to 3-2. That brought Steven Souza Jr. to the plate with runners at second and third, but he struck out to end the inning.

The Rays left 11 runners on base.

Tampa Bay's bats couldn't do much to help Archer (4-4). He struck out 11 and held the White Sox to five hits and two runs in seven innings.

"We got the guys on base, we just didn't capitalize on the opportunities that were presented," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Their pitchers made some big pitches, and sometimes that's the way it goes."

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White Sox starting pitcher Jose Quintana (62) throws a pitch during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Avisail Garcia led off the seventh inning with a solo home run to left field, his ninth on the season, for a 2-1 lead off Archer. The White Sox added an insurance run in the eighth after No. 9 hitter Leury Garcia walked, then advanced to third when Tommy Hunter's pickoff attempt wound up in right field. Leury Garcia scored on Jose Abreu's two-out RBI single to right field to make it 3-1.

The Rays had the chance to break the tie in the sixth, with a leadoff walk by Tim Beckham and a single by Kiermaier. A wild pitch put runners at second and third with no outs.

After Rickie Weeks struck out, the White Sox went to reliever Chris Beck (1-0) and intentionally walked pinch hitter Brad Miller to load the bases. Sucre had a 3-0 count, but he grounded into a double play to end the inning with the score still tied.

Chicago's Jose Quintana and Archer kept opposing bats in check early, taking a 1-1 tie into the sixth inning after each gave up a run in the first inning.

"Awesome," Renteria said of Quintana's outing. "Did what he needed to do, get the outs ... I thought he did a great job. He turned it up a notch."

Tampa Bay tied the game when Corey Dickerson doubled and scored on an RBI bloop single to right field by Evan Longoria.

NOTES: The Rays will call up RHP Jacob Faria to make his major league debut as the Wednesday starter against the White Sox. Faria, 23, is the seventh Rays player to make his major league debut this season. The only team with more this year is Cincinnati, with eight. Faria was 6-1 at Triple-A Durham with a 3.07 ERA this season, leading the International League with 84 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings. ... White Sox LHP Carlos Rodon began a rehab assignment Tuesday with Class A Winston-Salem. Rodon pitched 3 1/3 innings and gave up five runs on four hits, striking out six and walking two. He has been on the disabled list all season with left biceps bursitis ... White Sox RHP James Shields (right lat strain) reported no issues after his rehab appearance Saturday with Triple-A Charlotte. He gave up three runs on three hits in four innings.

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