Wednesday, 4 a.m.
Sometimes, it isn't how often a team hits the baseball.
Sometimes, it's how far.
The Tampa Bay Rays barely slipped past a 90-loss Chicago White Sox team Tuesday night, winning 5-4. The Rays' recent hitting woes continued with the team collecting only seven hits.
Three of them, however, were home runs, none of them from the most likely suspects. Josh Lowe hit his eleventh of the year in the second inning. Richie Palacioos hit a his first homer in the fourth. And, with the score tied at 4-4, Tristan Gray hit his third of the year in the seventh.
All three home runs went to right field.
The Rays are back to .500 (72-72).
Chicago has been the worst team in the American League this year. Still, the White Sox had won eight of their previous nine games.
The White Sox trailed 4-1 early, but tied the game in the sixth. Mason Montgomery came in in relief and gave up a double (first pitch), a wild pitch and a single (first pitch) to allow the Sox to tie the game.
The Rays' bullpen came on with Kevin Kelly, Bryan Baker, Edwin Uceta and Pete Fairbanks all throwing shutout baseball over the last 3 1/3 innings. Fairbanks had his 25th save.
The Rays and White Sox play again tonight at 7:40 p.m. in Chicago. Ryan Pepiot will start for the Rays. The Sox have not announced a starter.