The Chicago White Sox can do something Monday that they have not achieved in more than a year when they travel to play the Tampa Bay Rays.
Chicago comes out of the All-Star break having recorded its first sweep of the season, taking three games on the road against the Pittsburgh Pirates in dominating fashion. Capped by Sunday’s 7-2 victory, the White Sox outscored their hosts 27-7 over the weekend to record the team’s first road sweep in more than three years.
Sunday’s starting pitcher Aaron Civale said the four-day break last week benefited the team.
“It’s hard to get away from this game for one day, so for a lot of guys, it’s a good reset,” said Civale, who earned his first victory with the club on Sunday. The righty allowed only one unearned run across six innings and struck out a season-high six against just three hits and a walk.
Miguel Vargas was one of the hitting stars for the White Sox over the weekend. The infielder went 4-for-13 in the three games, with two doubles Saturday and a double and three-run homer on Sunday. He scored five times in the sweep.
Rookie Sean Burke (4-8, 4.36 ERA) will try to give the White Sox their first four-game winning streak since May 2024. The 25-year-old faces the Rays for the first time. He’s coming off a no-decision against the Cleveland Guardians on July 12, when he gave up two runs on three hits and a pair of walks over five innings while notching five strikeouts.
Chicago’s sweep will not turn the tide on this season as the team (35-65) is 30 games under .500 through the first 100 contests. Still, it shows the White Sox have improved from last season’s franchise-worst 41-121 campaign.
The Rays saw their hopes for a series sweep dashed on Sunday when the visiting Baltimore Orioles beat them 5-3.
All-Star Junior Caminero struck out with the bases loaded to end Sunday’s game, but he was electric during the rest of the series. He went 6-for-14 with two homers and five RBIs. Yandy Diaz finished 6-for-10 with a homer, four RBIs and five runs scored.
Tampa starter Shane Baz (8-5, 4.17) will see the White Sox for the first time in his career.
The right-hander, 26, has lost two straight starts but pitched well in both. In his last start, he gave up the only run in a 1-0 road loss to the Boston Red Sox on July 12. The Red Sox, who were in the middle of a 10-game winning streak, managed only five hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings versus Baz, who struck out three.
At 52-48, the Rays are in fourth place in the American League East and 6 1/2 games back of division-leading Toronto Blue Jays. However, they trail the Red Sox and Seattle Mariners by only 1 1/2 games for the last two AL wild-card spots.
While Rays starter Ryan Pepiot gave up all five runs in the loss Sunday and was disappointed he could not pitch the Rays to a sweep, he told the Tampa Bay Times that the team enjoyed a good weekend.
“We still won the series,” he said. “If you win every single series, at the end of the season, you’re going to be in pretty good shape.”