Danks loses 5th straight start, White Sox beaten 7-2 by Rays
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - John Danks' struggles late last season have carried over to this one.
Brandon Guyer homered to end Tampa Bay's scoreless drought, Brad Miller added a two-run shot and the Rays stopped Chicago's five-game winning streak Saturday night with a 7-2 victory over the White Sox.
Danks (0-2) gave up five runs on six hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings. He is 0-5 with a 6.91 ERA over his last five starts going back to last year.
"This thing is about wins and losses," Danks said. "It's disappointing."
Brett Lawrie hit his first homer for Chicago, a two-run shot off reliever Steve Geltz in the seventh. That snapped a 26-game homer drought, dating to Sept. 14.
Chicago is 8-3 despite scoring just 37 runs. The White Sox had given up only 22 entering Saturday.
"You can't sit there and expect these guys to shut people out," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. "The offense needs to pick these guys up and get some runs going."
Desmond Jennings also hit his first home run of the year for Tampa Bay, and Erasmo Ramirez pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings.
In his first start of the season, Ramirez (2-0) allowed three hits and no walks while striking out four, becoming the first Rays starter to win in 2016.
"I think he has a great changeup," Ventura said. "Anytime you get a little aggressive, he seems to be able to drop that in there. He controlled the plate, had guys out front."
Guyer's home run in the third halted Tampa Bay's skid of 21 straight scoreless innings.
Miller's two-run drive in the fourth gave the Rays a 4-0 lead after an RBI single by Steven Souza Jr. Evan Longoria singled home a run in the seventh.
Jennings led off the eighth with a homer against Zach Putnam, and Miller added an RBI double.
"Good to get back in the win column, for sure," manager Kevin Cash said after the Rays won for the second time in seven games. "It was a team win highlighted by Erasmo."
The Rays managed only six runs in their previous four games.
NUMBERS GAME
The White Sox bullpen, which entered with a 15-inning scoreless streak, allowed two runs in 1 2/3 innings. ... Danks is 1-6 with a 6.08 ERA in his last eight starts against Tampa Bay. . Danks had four strikeouts, which moved him within two of tying Gary Peters (1,098) for sixth place on the White Sox career list.
ROLLINS RUNNING
Ventura was impressed with Jimmy Rollins for tagging up and advancing from first base to second on Friday night, which was followed by Melky Cabrera's single that drove in the only run of the game. "Jimmy's got some savvy to him, and that ends up winning you a game," Ventura said. "Nobody taught him necessarily how to do that. That situation had to happen and it all had to add up in his brain for him to do it. It's a smart baseball play."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rays: Gold Glove CF Kevin Kiermaier (head bruise) and 2B Logan Forsythe (bruised left hip and lower leg) were available off the bench one day after colliding while pursuing a pop fly. Kiermaier said he went through the concussion protocol and "passed with flying colors." Cash said Forsythe will play Sunday. Kiermaier is uncertain.
UP NEXT
The series finale Sunday is a matchup of left-handers. Matt Moore (0-0) starts for the Rays, and Jose Quintana (1-0) will become the third straight lefty to start for the White Sox.