Paredes drives in 5 as Rays pound Cease, White Sox 14-5

CHICAGO -- — Isaac Paredes had a career-high five RBI, and the Tampa Bay Rays handed the Chicago White Sox their eighth straight loss with a 14-5 victory on Thursday night.

Brandon Lowe homered, tripled and drove in three runs for Tampa Bay in the opener of a four-game series. Lowe, Yandy Díaz, Luke Raley and Josh Lowe each had three hits as the AL East leaders bounced back nicely after they were shut out in back-to-back home games by Houston.

The Rays (21-5) have scored an MLB-best 171 runs and launched 51 homers in their first 26 games.

“We're a very, very good team offensively,” Brandon Lowe said. "We've got some guys that aren't clicking right now. When they do click, we're going to be even hotter as a team.

“I don't even think we're at the peak of what we could be.”

Tampa Bay collected 16 hits.

Raley, who finished with three RBI, moved from right field to the mound for the ninth and allowed two runs.

Manager Kevin Cash said he “volunteered” Raley to pitch after he homered in the top half of the ninth. Cash wanted to rest his bullpen.

“I was 50-50 on whether Luke was going to throw strikes” Cash said. “I'm really impressed that he did.”

Raley, who hadn't pitched since high school, said he enjoyed his home run more.

“Pitching is a little scary,” Raley said. “I'm just glad I got out of the inning. I didn't walk anybody, so that was the goal.”

Paredes' bases-loaded double in the Rays' five-run sixth inning helped put it away.

Shane McClanahan (5-0) pitched five innings of two-run ball in the win. He struck out five and walked two.

White Sox ace Dylan Cease (2-1) was tagged for seven runs, six earned, and nine hits in four-plus innings.

Jake Burger homered for Chicago and drove in two runs.

“We didn't play defense today,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “We didn't hit with runners in scoring position. We didn't do much of anything.”

Lenyn Sosa stopped Chicago’s scoreless streak at 25 innings with an RBI double in the second. The White Sox were shut out in their previous two games in Toronto.

The Rays improved to 4-0 against the White Sox. They swept a three-game series in Florida last weekend.

Tampa Bay ended its scoreless drought at 20 innings when it scored three runs in the second. Paredes singled in Brandon Lowe and scored on Raley’s two-run double.

Brandon Lowe hit a solo shot in the third for his seventh homer, and the Rays added three more runs in the fifth.

ALMOST

Brandon Lowe finished a double short of the cycle. He singled in the fifth for his third hit of the night, driving in two runs. He also walked while going 3 for 4.

HENDRIKS CLOSER TO RETURN

White Sox closer Liam Hendriks could go out on a rehab assignment next week in a big step in his recovery from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. General manager Rick Hahn said Hendriks would return to Chicago during the team’s upcoming series against Minnesota for “a pre-rehab assignment check-in,” and then his assignment could start “potentially immediately after that series.”

YOU’RE OUT

Grifol was ejected in the eighth inning. He said he was contesting the time he had to make a challenge.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: SS Tim Anderson (sprained left knee) and INF Hanser Alberto (strained left quad) will join Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday for rehab assignments. Anderson, a two-time All-Star and the 2019 AL batting champion, got hurt on April 10 at Minnesota. ... 3B Yoán Moncada is dealing with a bulging disk in his lumbar spine that is impinging on nerves, causing pain in his hips and limiting his mobility. He hasn’t appeared in a big league game since April 9. Hahn said Moncada might be ready for a rehab assignment in the next couple of weeks.

UP NEXT

Rays RHP Zach Eflin (3-0, 2.81 ERA) starts against RHP Lucas Giolito (1-2, 4.50 ERA) on Friday night.

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