Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen dominated over six shutout innings, Nick Fortes singled in the only run, and the Rays opened August by blanking the Chicago White Sox 1-0 on Saturday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla.
In reaching double figures in victories for the third time in his career, Rasmussen (10-5) allowed just four singles. He walked one and reached double-digits in strikeouts for the second time with 10.
The right-hander and four relievers combined for 16 strikeouts. Bryan Baker notched his 31st save in 34 chances with a perfect ninth.
Yandy Diaz went 2-for-4 as the Rays managed just five singles in squaring the three-game series. Jonny DeLuca had a hit, scored and stole a base.
For the White Sox, Jordan Hicks pitched as the opener for the first time and fired a perfect inning before giving way to Noah Schultz, who was sharp but allowed one run.
Schultz (3-8) yielded three hits in five innings, struck out four and hit a batter.
Edgar Quero had two hits, but the White Sox produced only five singles and had just one at-bat with a runner in scoring position.
With Friday night’s fireworks of four homers in the first four innings behind the two first-place clubs, pitching took center stage early in the series’ middle game as Rasmussen, using mostly fastballs, fanned five of the first six batters he faced and retired the first eight batters before Quero singled in a 10-pitch at-bat.
White Sox pitching went 9-up, 9-down before Diaz led off the fourth with a single and was advanced to second on Chandler Simpson’s sacrifice bunt for the first scoring chance. Yet Schultz whiffed Junior Caminero and got a long flyout from Victor Mesa Jr.
The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the fifth after DeLuca singled, moved to second on his 12th stolen base and soon scored on a two-out single that Fortes fought off and looped over shortstop.
After Rasmussen departed, pinch hitter Randal Grichuk led off the seventh with a single off Cam Booser, but the lefty reliever responded with two strikeouts before Kevin Kelly came in and fanned Chase Meidroth with a changeup.
With two outs in the eighth, lefty Garrett Cleavinger whiffed Chicago slugger Munetaka Murakami to finish the frame.
Baker retired Miguel Vargas, Colson Montgomery and Grichuk to preserve the Rays’ fourth shutout in seven games.
