Konerko, Sox drop Rays 6-1

Paul Konerko hit 2 home runs and Gavin Floyd pitched 8 masterful innings Sunday as the White Sox beat the slumping Tampa Bay Rays 6-1 at U.S. Cellular Field.

Konerko’s solo homers in the first and fifth innings gave him 3 on the season. He has a 10-game hitting streak dating to last year and has driven in a run in all but one game for the Sox so far.

The loss dropped the Rays to 1-8, the worst start to a season in franchise history. Tampa Bay has scored 11 runs in its 8 losses and put 9 runs on the board in its only win.

Floyd (1-0) struck out eight, allowing just 4 hits and 1 unearned run. He retired 16 of the first 18 batters he faced. Floyd allowed a one-out double to Matt Joyce in the second, but then retired the next 12 Rays.

Sam Fuld broke Floyd’s streak with a double in the sixth, and Johnny Damon followed with a single. With runners on first and third, Floyd caught Damon trying to steal second, but his wild throw ended up in center field, allowing Fuld to score.

Dan Johnson then hit a grounder to first, which deflected off Konerko’s glove. Gordon Beckham recovered and threw to Floyd, who dropped the ball while removing it from his glove.

First-base umpire Doug Eddings called Johnson safe, but after White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen came out to dispute the call, the umps convened and reversed it, prompting a visit from Rays manager Joe Maddon, who argued vehemently and was ejected by Eddings.

Jeff Niemann (0-2) only made it 46 pitches into his second start of the season. He allowed 5 runs on 5 hits over 2 innings. Three of the runs charged to him were earned.

The White Sox established their offense early, courtesy of 2 first-inning home runs. Beckham drove a 1-0 pitch off the top of the left field wall that bounced over for his second of the year, and two batters later, Konerko launched the first pitch he saw 379 feet into the left-field seats.

In the second, Brent Morel knocked in Mark Teahen with an RBI double, then came around to score on Juan Pierre’s single, extending the lead to 4-0.

A.J. Pierzynski chased Niemann in the third inning with an RBI single. Andy Sonnanstine came on in relief, retiring five of six batters until Konerko came to the plate in the fifth, sending a 2-1 pitch over the bullpen in left field.

Sonnanstine allowed just 3 hits over the last 5 innings for the Rays, Konerko’s long ball the lone blemish on his day.