PETERSBURG, Fla. ( Associated Press) — Jake Burger had a key hit for the second straight day and the Chicago White Sox held onto an early lead to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-5 on Sunday.
Burger, who hit a go-ahead two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning of Saturday’s 3-2 victory, now hit a two-run double in the first inning, in which Chicago had four runs off Ryan. Yarbrough (0-2).
Yasmani Grandal drove in two more with a swing to the opposite field for a single in the first, then Andrew Vaughn doubled and fellow Cuban Luis Robert added an RBI single to make it 6-0.
But the Rays didn’t give up, starting with Isaac Paredes, who hit a solo homer in the fifth before a four-run sixth inning that put Tampa Bay up 6-5.
Yandy Diaz led off the sixth with a single and Ji-Man Choi advanced when Grandal was charged with an error for failing to control a pitch from shortstop Danny Mendick. Then Harold Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly and Randy Arozarena tripled before Mike Zunino homered with two outs.
White Sox starter Lucas Giolito (4-2) gave up five runs, two earned, and eight hits in six innings. Liam Hendriks, Chicago’s No. 3 reliever, pitched the ninth for 16 saves in 19 chances.
For the White Sox, Cubans Luis Robert 5-3 with an RBI, José Abreu 4-2 with a run scored and Yasmani Grandal 4-1 with 2 RBIs.
For the Rays, the Mexican Isaac Paredes 4-1 with a run scored and an RBI; Cubans Yandy Díaz 3-2 with a run scored and Randy Arozarena 3-1 with a run scored and 1 produced; and the Dominican Manuel Margot 4-0.
