Brooks Baldwin slugged a three-run homer as the streaking Chicago White Sox scored six times in the first three innings and thumped the host Tampa Bay Rays 8-3 on Monday night.

Miguel Vargas added a two-run blast, his 12th, and Luis Robert Jr. had two hits and two RBIs as the White Sox won their season-high fourth straight game and prevailed for the sixth time in the past nine.

Chase Meidroth went 4-for-5 with three doubles and a run for Chicago, which had six of its 11 hits go for extra bases.

Staked to an 8-2 lead, White Sox starter Sean Burke couldn’t last more than four-plus innings and failed to get his first road win. He allowed two unearned runs on three hits and four walks while striking out five.

Tyler Gilbert (4-1) recorded two outs in the fifth in relief of Burke.

Rays starter Shane Baz (8-6) surrendered a season-high eight runs on eight hits in four-plus innings. He fanned four and walked two. The right-hander saw seven runs cross against the Kansas City Royals on May 1 in an 8-2 loss.

Tampa Bay’s Yandy Diaz clubbed his 16th home run and Taylor Walls hit a two-run double. However, the Rays produced only five hits in their second straight setback.

After singles by Kyle Teel and Colson Montgomery in the second inning, the red-hot White Sox watched Baldwin barrel up a Baz four-seam fastball and belt it to right-center for his fifth homer of the season.

Baz’s troubles continued in the third as the visitors scored three more after Meidroth’s single and a pair of walks. Robert lined a two-run single to left, then Montgomery beat out a double-play ball for an RBI that scored Vargas for a 6-0 lead.

The home side finally got to Burke when Meidroth’s throwing error to open the fourth came back to bite Chicago.

With two outs, Walls ripped a double that barely eluded right fielder Mike Tauchman for two unearned runs. Vargas answered in the fifth with a two-run shot to left for an 8-2 edge.

Diaz completed the scoring with a solo homer to left in the seventh.

–Field Level Media