One run was all Tampa Bay needed. Drew Rasmussen made sure of it, working six shutout innings and striking out 10 as the Rays beat the Chicago White Sox 1-0 at Tropicana Field.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CWS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| TB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 1 | 5 | 1 |
Rasmussen was in command from the outset, allowing four hits and a single walk while punching out 10 batters over his six innings. He did not factor into the decision, but his effort set the tone for a game the Rays' pitching staff would not let slip away. The bullpen closed it out from there, with four relievers combining for three scoreless innings to preserve the shutout.
The only run of the night came in the fifth. With the score tied 0-0, Nick Fortes singled to left and DeLuca scored, putting Tampa Bay ahead for good. It was Fortes' only RBI of the night, but it was enough.
Noah Schultz took the loss for Chicago, allowing one run on three hits over five innings with four strikeouts and no walks. The White Sox bullpen kept the game close behind him, with three relievers covering seven innings and allowing just the one earned run, but Chicago's offense never found an answer against Tampa Bay's pitching, finishing with five hits and no runs.
The win pushed Tampa Bay to 65-45, riding a one-game winning streak, while Chicago fell to 58-52 with a one-game skid.