White Sox raise their level with road series win against AL leaders

ST. PETERSBURG -- So, you are looking for a statement game or series from the American League Central-leading White Sox?

Well, the South Siders spoke loud and clear this weekend at Tropicana Field, against the Rays (65-46), who own the AL’s top record.

Via a 9-1 rout on Sunday afternoon, the White Sox (59-52) claimed two out of three in winning the series and outscored the Rays by a 15-3 margin overall. Dating back to Game 3 within the previous split of a four-game set at home against the Yankees, White Sox pitchers have allowed three earned runs in the last 49 innings on 33 hits.

One of those runs came on a long Junior Caminero home run in Friday’s victory. A second scored on Nick Fortes’ bloop single during a 1-0 loss Saturday, and Ben Williamson went deep with Tampa Bay down nine runs on Sunday.

View this past week from any possible baseball prism, and it shows the same picture. The White Sox are one of the AL’s top teams.

“It means a lot for us,” said third baseman Miguel Vargas, who launched his 24th home run in the ninth inning on Sunday. “It’s always great to win these types of games.”

“Any time you can win a series, it's really good,” starting pitcher Anthony Kay added. “Taking two out of four from the Yankees and then two out of three here, it shows where we're at in the league."

Kay (8-5) turned in one of his best performances this season behind a career-high 6 1/3 innings. He scattered seven hits, walked one and struck out three, pitching out of bases-loaded jams in the fourth and sixth innings.

While the left-hander followed the path set by his fellow hurlers, the White Sox didn’t need much more than a rare defensive gift in the first inning. Rays second baseman Ryan Vilade mishandled Sam Antonacci’s grounder to start the game, and after a two-out double from Colson Montgomery, starting pitcher Griffin Jax couldn’t handle Andrew Benintendi’s grounder back to the mound allowing the first unearned run to score.

With runners on first and third, Benintendi broke for second when the ball got away from Fortes behind the plate. As Fortes threw through to second, Montgomery easily scored and both runners were safe. The original ruling was a double steal, giving Montgomery a steal of home, but it was changed to a wild pitch.

Either way, it was a 2-0 lead for the White Sox.

“Yeah, it was huge,” manager Will Venable said. “To get two runs early is, obviously, a nice way to start the game. And really, because of those two errors, Obviously, they're such a good defensive team that they usually make those. But a good job by our guys to take advantage.

“We're just a really competitive group. When you compete, take advantage of those opportunities, that's a path to winning. We talk about continuing to battle and grind every at-bat and these guys do a great job.”

Benintendi homered and Everson Pereira doubled home two off Craig Kimbrel, who walked two with two outs in the sixth. Pereira, who added a two-run homer in the ninth, played for the Rays in ‘25 and was a late lineup entry when Braden Montgomery was scratched with a superficial skin infection on his right ankle.

“A lot of ups and downs. It hasn’t been an easy year,” Pereira said through interpreter Billy Russo, adding his performance was very satisfying. “But there's nothing I can do about it. Now, I just focus on what I can do and all the things that we have ahead of us."

What lies ahead for the White Sox?

They traveled to Boston after Sunday’s game, with an off-day on Monday to see if general manager Chris Getz adds anyone else to the equation prior to the 5 p.m. CT Trade Deadline after acquiring right-hander Luis Castillo from Seattle. After starting the season at 5-15 on the road, the White Sox are now 10-6 in their last 16 away from Rate Field and have a 4-0-1 mark over their last five road series.

Maybe that large group of vocal and supportive fans taking up most of the lower section behind the visitors’ dugout at Tropicana Field all weekend will make their way to Fenway Park. It’s one of the many benefits the White Sox have earned from this top-notch performance.

“Yeah, that was crazy. By myself, I got 30 tickets so probably half of them were my family,” a smiling Vargas said of the fans. “It’s always great and fun, and we are very proud to see that happen. To see the support of our fans, it was unbelievable. They are the best in the league for sure.”