The Chicago White Sox have set a season high for consecutive wins since the All-Star break.
They take a stab at a fifth straight victory Tuesday night when they face the host Tampa Bay Rays.
Hapless through the first half of the season with the worst record in the American League, the White Sox bolted out of the break by winning each of their past four games by at least five runs.
In sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates and winning the opener against the Rays, the White Sox outscored their opposition 35-10 and slugged six homers and 24 extra-base hits white putting up a .302 batting average.
Most impressively in that four-game stretch, the AL Central’s last-place team is hitting .353 with runners in scoring position.
“I think the focus has been really good, the intensity has been really good and we’ve been doing a great job of picking each other up, getting big hits with guys on base. That’s what it’s about,” right fielder Mike Tauchman said. “Keep moving the line. It’s been really good, and we want to keep it going.”
Luis Robert Jr. went 2-for4 with two RBIs and pushed his hitting streak to eight games in Monday’s 8-3 victory.
Six of the team’s 11 hits went for extra bases.
“I’m proud of how our group responds to tough times,” Chicago manager Will Venable said. “Our ability to overcome adversity is just going to pay dividends down the road.”
The White Sox are expected to activate Davis Martin (2-7, 3.79 ERA) from the injured list for his first start since June 12 on Tuesday. Martin was placed on the injured list with a right forearm strain on June 20. Martin made two short rehab appearances in Triple-A and initially resisted the move when general manager Chris Getz suggested rest for what the team described as a purely “muscular” injury, meaning there was no sign of inflammation in any tendon or ligament.
In six starts on the road this season, the 28-year-old Martin has allowed six home runs and 20 earned runs in 39 innings.
He’ll be making his 33rd career start on Tuesday, and Martin said he’s never felt more confident on the mound.
“Just the consistency of the stuff, the consistency of the mechanics and everything and knowing what I’m going to have every week in, week out,” he said. “Not the guessing game of, ‘Is this pitch going to be there? Is that pitch going to be there?’ Just knowing that I’m going to have my stuff pretty much every time I go out there, it’s great for the confidence.”
The Rays attempt will attempt to rebound from the series opener in which starter Shane Baz allowed a career-high eight runs.
The loss also continued a disappointing trend: Tampa Bay fell to 22-22 against teams possessing records under .500 and is 2-6 in ita past eight contests with the White Sox.
“It’s the big leagues. Anything can happen on any given night,” Baz said after dropping the matchup with Chicago, a 65-loss club with a .356 winning percentage.
The Rays also will be hoping to see All-Star Drew Rasmussen excel as the team eases off of physical restrictions.
In an effort to limit innings due to his history of arm problems, Tampa Bay held Rasmussen to three-, two- and two-inning starts in his final three outings before the All-Star break.
A healthy, effective Rasmussen (7-5, 2.86) will be crucial to stabilizing a staff that has been inconsistent at times.
As he meandered through the three short starts, the Rays faltered. The team stumbled into a midseason slumber, dropping 11 of 14 and slipping to fourth place in the AL East.
Over three starts against the White Sox, Rasmussen is 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA.
A series of other ailments are hindering Tampa Bay.
In Monday’s loss, starting shortstop Ha-Seong Kim left in the fourth inning with lower-back tightness after walking and stealing his fourth base of the seasson.
Tampa Bay also is minus All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe, Kim’s double-play partner who is hampered by plantar fasciitis.
And then there is rehabbing starter Shane McClanahan
“Felt OK, nothing great,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said after left-hander McClanahan’s 10-pitch bullpen session on Monday. “So we’ll see how he comes in tomorrow.”
–Field Level Media
