Eflin allows 1 run in 7 innings as Rays beat White Sox 5
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Zach Eflin allowed one run and six hits in seven innings as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Chicago White Sox 5-1 on Tuesday night for their fifth consecutive win.
Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes homered for the Rays, who moved over .500 at 19-18.
Eflin (2-4) lost the shutout when Paul DeJong homered with two outs in the seventh.
“Really good stuff, really good command,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He was really sharp. He made some big pitches when he had to.”
The right-hander worked out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the fifth by getting a flyball from Gavin Sheets on a 3-0 pitch. Eflin also retired Sheets on a grounder with two on and two outs in the seventh.
“I was kind of surprised he swung at it, but I’ll take it any day,” Eflin said of Sheets’ at-bat in the fifth. “Threw a pretty good sinker and he hit a flyball to right that got me out of the jam.”