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White Sox take two of three in Tampa — and leave the Rays chasing

The Chicago White Sox didn’t just win a series at Tropicana Field — they did it in a way that plays in June and plays in October: steady starting pitching in the wins, relentless pressure on the bases, and late-inning haymakers when the Rays blinked.

When the dust settled on the three-game set, Chicago walked out 33-29 and Tampa Bay stumbled to 31-30 — a neat little reminder of who currently owns the higher rung in the standings.

Chicago took the opener 7-2, swallowed the middle game 9-3 loss, then closed the deal with a gritty 7-4 win in the finale. Total damage across the series: White Sox 17 runs, Rays 15 — but Chicago controlled the leverage moments, and that’s what tilted the set.

Game 1 (June 9): White Sox 7, Rays 2 — late chaos, then the dagger

Tampa Bay struck first in the bottom of the 1st when Junior Caminero ambushed an early fastball for a two-run homer after Chandler Simpson reached and stole second. For a few innings, it looked like one of those “McClanahan is dealing, good luck” nights.

Then the White Sox flipped the script in the 4th:

Wilfred Veras doubled

Bryan Ramos launched a two-run homer to tie it, 2-2

The real turning point came in the 8th, and it was pure pressure baseball. Chicago got the go-ahead runs without even needing a clean swing:

Eguy Rosario reached on catcher’s interference

Edgar Quero ripped a single

A passed ball and then a wild pitch turned the inning into a Rays nightmare as two runs crossed

And if Tampa still had any thoughts of a comeback, the 9th erased them:

Eliezer Alfonzo tripled in a run

Edgar Quero followed with a two-run homer to slam the door

Jonathan Cannon steadied after the 1st and gave Chicago 6 solid innings, and the bullpen trio (Tyler Schweitzer, Brandon Eisert, Ky Bush) kept Tampa quiet the rest of the way. The Sox also flexed their wheels — Nasim Núñez stole both second and third in the late innings, constantly forcing the Rays to speed up.

Game 2 (June 10): Rays 9, White Sox 3 — Tampa’s power night, plus an injury scare

This one got away early, and it got loud in a hurry.

Tampa Bay tagged Grant Taylor right out of the gate when Caminero hit another two-run homer in the 1st (after an error extended the inning). In the 2nd, Jake McCarthy added a two-run blast after a walk-and-steal sequence, and suddenly it was 4-0 with the Trop awake.

Chicago finally pushed back in the 6th with a clean rally:

Kyle Teel singled

Luis Robert Jr. doubled

Bryan Ramos delivered a run-scoring hit

Tirso Ornelas chipped in another RBI knock

But the Rays answered immediately — and emphatically — with a four-run 6th featuring a Kody Clemens two-run homer and a Carson Williams solo shot, turning it into a blowout.

The headline wrinkle: Caminero left injured after a collision at a base, putting a real cloud over Tampa’s win.

Game 3 (June 11): White Sox 7, Rays 4 — Meidroth and Robert bring the thunder late

The finale felt like a tug-of-war: Tampa landed first again (Clemens solo HR in the 1st), but Chicago responded with two runs in the 2nd using contact and situational execution — exactly the kind of inning that travels:

Zavala and Salmonson singles set it up

Núñez knocked in a run with a groundout

Alfonzo brought home another with a groundout

After the Rays tied it in the 3rd, the White Sox produced the swing of the day in the 5th:

Eliezer Alfonzo singled

Chase Meidroth crushed a two-run homer to put Chicago back in front

Chicago kept adding:

An RBI single from Meidroth in the 6th

More traffic created by Núñez and Alfonzo at the top of the order

Tampa made it sweaty late — trimming it to 5-4 — but Chicago’s bullpen answered the bell, and then the Sox delivered the knockout in the 9th:

Edgar Quero singled

Luis Robert Jr. detonated a two-run homer for breathing room

Shane Smith fought through traffic and still got five innings, and the back end (Burke into Edwin Díaz for the save) finished it off.

Series storylines that mattered

1) Chicago’s “pressure runs” were a real thing.
Catcher’s interference, passed ball, wild pitch, aggressive steals — the Sox didn’t wait around for three-run homers to show up. They forced mistakes, especially in Game 1.

2) The young core kept showing up in big spots.

Edgar Quero was the headliner in Game 1 (and set up the Game 3 dagger rally).

Bryan Ramos consistently put the barrel on the ball all series.

Chase Meidroth owned the finale with the game-changing homer.

3) Bullpen advantage swung the set.
In the two wins, Chicago’s relievers controlled the middle/late innings. In the loss, Tampa’s power surge made the bullpen part irrelevant.