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St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Jayson Nix's grand slam in the top of the sixth inning proved to be the difference, as the Chicago White Sox took down the Tampa Bay Rays, 8-5, to split a four-game series at Tropicana Field.
Alex Rios went 3-for-5 with a solo homer for the White Sox, who went 4-3 on a seven-game road trip. Mark Kotsay and Omar Vizquel each knocked in a run for the victors.
Jake Peavy (4-4) lasted 5 1/3 innings in the start, allowing five runs on 10 hits. He also fanned five batters to snap a two-start losing streak.
Ben Zobrist hit a solo homer and drove in a total of two runs for the Rays, who ended a seven-game homestand with a 2-5 record. Carl Crawford went 4-for-5 with an RBI, while Reid Brignac scored twice and knocked in a run in defeat.
James Shields (5-3) had his worst outing of the season, giving up a season- high seven runs on 11 hits over 5 1/3 innings.
With the score tied at three, Shields loaded the bases to open the sixth and Nix stepped to the plate and blasted a 3-2 offering over the wall in left to go in front.
The Rays got two runs back in the home half to cut the gap to 7-5. B.J. Upton singled, stole second, and crossed the plate on Brignac's single. Sergio Santos came in from the bullpen to relieve Peavy and struck out Sean Rodriguez for the second out. However, consecutive base hits from Zobrist and Crawford scored another run.
Tampa Bay came close to tying the game in the seventh, but a nice catch by left fielder Juan Pierre with a man on second kept Chicago in front. Pierre backed up to the wall on a ball hit by Upton as a fan reached over the fence with his glove. The baseball deflected off the glove of the fan and into Pierre's mitt for the third out.
Chicago added an insurance run in the eighth on Vizquel's RBI double.
The White Sox drew first blood with a pair of runs in the first. Pierre singled and A.J. Pierzynski doubled to get things started. Rios then drove in a run with a base hit to left. Two batters later, Kotsay plated a run when he grounded out.
Rios hit a solo homer to center in the top of the third to make it 3-0, but Zobrist belted a solo homer of his own in the bottom half to make it a two-run contest again.
Tampa Bay plated two runs in the fifth to tie things up. A Brignac double and Rodriguez bunt single put runners on the corners for Zobrist, who hit a sac fly to center. After Crawford singled, Evan Longoria hit an RBI base hit to left.
Tampa Bay wins the season series with Chicago, 4-3...Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett (hamstring) missed the game...Tampa Bay begins a six-game road trip on Monday with a three-game set against Toronto...The White Sox start a nine- game homestand on Tuesday with a three-game set versus Texas.
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