Party's over: Floyd, White Sox send reeling Rays packing
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - After a week that was filled with celebrations of their first American League championship, the Tampa Bay Rays are hitting the road. It may be just what they need.
Gavin Floyd took a shutout into the seventh inning, and Carlos Quentin and Jim Thome hit back-to-back homers as the Chicago White Sox pounded the Rays, 12-2, yesterday.
That's the last-place Rays, for those keeping track of the American League East standings.
"It was a great week, but it was also difficult," said manager Joe Maddon after the Rays, a major league-best 57-24 at home last season, went 2-5 in their first homestand of 2009 and dropped to 5-8 overall. "That's been part of my concern . . . the consistant reminder of last year. I wanted to move this beyond last year. It was beautiful. It's wonderful. Now it's time to a create an even better 2009."
Tampa Bay now goes on a nine-game, three-city trip, and at least the first few games will be without center fielder B.J. Upton, who left after the second inning because of right quadriceps tightness. Upton, who had a team-best seven homers and 16 RBIs during the 2008 postseason, missed the first six games of the season while recovering from left shoulder surgery.
"I don't anticipate it to be bad," said Maddon, who thinks Upton could return in the next few days.
The Rays couldn't do anything with Floyd (2-1), who allowed two runs, both on Ben Zobrist's homer in the seventh, and six hits in seven innings.
"He's one of the top pitchers right now in the big leagues, and he continues to throw the ball well," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said.
Quentin hit his seventh homer of the season - a two-run shot - and Thome followed with his 544th career home run in the eighth inning off Dan Wheeler. A.J. Pierzynski hit his 99th career homer, helping Chicago take three of four from Tampa Bay.
"To beat these guys, you've got to be on the top of your game," Guillen said.
Matt Garza (1-1) gave up seven runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings for the Rays.
"I didn't make my pitches when I needed to make them," Garza said.
Pierzynski put the White Sox up, 2-0, with a two-run homer in the second. Thome made it 3-0 one inning later on an RBI grounder.
Paul Konerko hit a sacrifice fly and Chris Getz drove in two with a single during a four-run sixth that extended the White Sox lead to 7-0.
