CHICAGO -- Rocco Baldelli and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are just looking for a winning month.
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| Rocco Baldelli homers and drives in four runs as the Devil Rays even their July record.(AP) |
Tampa Bay is 11-11 in July, trying to finish .500 or better in a month for the first time since going 14-13 in September 2001.
"It would be huge to finish July with a winning record," Baldelli said. "We can't change May and June, but we can build something the rest of the way."
Aubrey Huff went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI for the Devil Rays, who won for just the 15th time in 49 road games. Tampa Bay finished with 15 hits, including a season-high seven doubles.
Baldelli's big game came one night after he was doused with beer by a fan sitting in the bleachers at U.S. Cellular Field. He broke a 5-5 tie in the sixth inning with a two-out, two-run double off reliever Rick White (1-2).
Huff followed with a double off the left-field fence, scoring Carl Crawford and Baldelli for a 9-5 lead. Huff also doubled in the ninth and scored on a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Al Martin.
"The big hit was Baldelli's with two outs because the momentum was totally swung to us," Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella said. "That's talent."
Crawford went 3-for-4 in the leadoff spot, reaching base four times and scoring three runs. Julio Lugo also homered for Tampa Bay.
Mark Malaska (1-0) got two outs for his first major league win. Jesus Colome got six outs for his first career save.
"Things were pretty tense out there at times, but it feels good," Malaska said. "Lou is showing confidence to bring me in tough situations."
Sandy Alomar Jr. hit a three-run homer for Chicago, which was looking for its first nine-game winning streak since 1977.
"We came back and scored some runs, got back in the game, and then we gave up a few runs after that and it's kind of hard to come back again," Alomar said.
Travis Lee led off the second inning with a double off White Sox starter Mike Porzio. Two outs later, Lugo homered to give the Devil Rays a 3-0 lead.
Baldelli homered to center in the third inning off Porzio. It was Baldelli's eighth home run of the season, making it 4-0.
Porzio lasted only 3 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on six hits. He was demoted to Triple-A Charlotte after the game.
"I knew going in that the bullpen was (tired) and tonight, unfortunately I didn't get it done," Porzio said.
Tampa Bay added another run in the fifth on Toby Hall's two-out RBI single.
Trailing 5-1 in the fifth inning, the White Sox rallied to tie it.
Tampa Bay starter Rob Bell walked Jose Valentin, and Joe Crede followed with a single. Alomar followed with a drive that barely got over the fence in left, cutting Tampa Bay's lead to 5-4.
Bell then gave up a single to Carlos Lee and walked Frank Thomas. Magglio Ordonez followed with an RBI single, chasing Bell and tying it at 5.
Roberto Alomar had an RBI single in the sixth for Chicago.
Crawford led off the game with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and stole third. Baldelli drove Crawford in with a sacrifice fly.
Bell retired his first 11 batters before Thomas doubled in the fourth and scored on Ordonez's single.
Notes
- Tampa Bay's Matt Diaz got his first major league hit with a single in the sixth inning.
- Carlos Lee and Roberto Alomar extended their hitting streaks to 10 games.
- The White Sox have homered in 14 straight home games.
- The White Sox recalled right-hander Matt Ginter from Triple-A and optioned Porzio to Charlotte.
- Ordonez is 17-for-28 (.607) in his last seven games.
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