CHICAGO (AP) — Isaac Paredes had three hits, including a leadoff homer in the ninth inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the sliding Chicago White Sox 3-2 on Friday night.
Paredes drove Kendall Graveman’s second pitch deep to left for his fourth homer. He also doubled twice and scored twice.
“Isaac was ready to go. Big day for him,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
Rookie Kevin Kelly, the last of five Tampa Bay relievers, got the final out for his first career save. Colin Poche (2-0) got the win after the bullpen surrendered just one hit in the final four innings.
The AL East-leading Rays won for the eighth time in 10 games.
Chicago has dropped nine in a row for the franchise’s longest skid since it lost 10 straight games in 2013.
Jake Burger and Andrew Vaughn homered for the White Sox. Lucas Giolito was charged with two runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Graveman (1-2) has allowed one run in each of his last two appearances.
Brandon Lowe hit a sacrifice fly in the first for Tampa Bay, and Manuel Margot tied it at 2 with a two-out RBI single in the fourth. The first run scored on a fielding gaffe by the White Sox.
“Mental mistakes against championship-caliber teams,” Chicago manager Pedro Grifol said. “You don’t win like that.”
The Rays improved to 5-0 against the White Sox this season. They swept a three-game series in St. Petersburg last weekend and won the opener of this four-game set on Thursday night.
“I feel like we’re kind of built to win tough ballgames,” Cash said. “Most of the season, we’re going to have a lot of tough ballgames.”
Vaughn homered in the first off Zach Eflin, and Burger added his seventh in the second inning.
Eflin allowed six hits, struck out five and walked two in five innings.
ROBBED!
Burger made a bid for a go-ahead homer in the eighth against Poche, but Randy Arozarena jumped to make a catch just above the yellow line in right-center.
“It feels good to rob a home run; a lot better than getting robbed of a home run,” Arozarena said through a translator. “It’s a play that doesn’t happen too much during the year.”
TOSSED AGAIN
Grifol was ejected for the second straight night after a heated first-inning argument with plate umpire Marvin Hudson. Grifol and the White Sox seemed to take umbrage after Eflin hit Luis Robert Jr. in the back with his first pitch after Vaughn’s homer.
“I had a sinker that sailed. Wasn’t intentional by any means,” Eflin said. “I understand them reacting like that. I would’ve done the same thing if it happened to us.”
SORE ARM?
Rays outfielder Luke Raley rested after pitching the ninth inning of Thursday’s 14-5 win. He said he remembered pitching in high school in northeast Ohio but the experience didn’t help much.
“I guess I (started and relieved),” he said. “But I did neither really well. I was just trying to get the ball over the plate.”
He joined Minnesota’s Willi Castro as the only position players to homer and pitch in the same game this season.
FRAZIER SIGNS
The White Sox signed former New York Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier to a minor league contract. He was in uniform Friday night for Triple-A Charlotte.
MORE ROSTER MOVES
Tampa Bay activated right-hander Ryan Thompson (right lat strain) from the 15-day injury list and optioned right-hander Zack Burdi to Triple-A Durham. Veteran right-hander Heath Hembree cleared waivers and opted to become a free agent.
The White Sox also signed right-hander Bryan Shaw to a minor league deal and outrighted righty A.J. Alexy to Charlotte before the game.
UP NEXT
Tampa Bay reliever Yonny Chirinos (0-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his first start of the season against fellow right-hander Lance Lynn (0-3, 7.52 ERA) on Saturday night.