CHICAGO -- The marquee pitching matchup between Chris Sale and Chris Archer turned out to be one-sided in favor of Archer and the Tampa Bay Rays.
Led by the right-hander's seven dominant innings and an impressive offensive performance by a young lineup, the Rays beat the Chicago White Sox 11-3 Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field.
"Great win," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. "We needed a win like that after the last two (games). They've been a little intense late in ballgames. It was nice to be able to separate a ballgame. Logan (Forsythe) started it off with a big two-run homer in the first, and then Archer was just tremendous. He was outstanding."
Archer won for the first time since June 23 against the Toronto Blue Jays, a span of six starts without a victory. This time, he struck out seven and yielded just two runs on six hits and one walk.
"I think we just showed a lot as a team, being patient with Sale," said Archer, who went 0-4 in his previous six starts despite allowing two or fewer runs in four of the outings. "He's had some success against us in the past, so it was nice to get his pitch count up and force someone else into the game."
Sale struck out nine to retain his lead over Archer in the American League strikeout category (186-180), but that was the extent of his success against the Rays this time. He was roughed up for seven runs in 5 1/3 innings; it was his second consecutive outing allowing seven runs and taking a loss. It also happened Thursday against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
"It's bad," Sale said. "I really don't know what to say about it other than just I've been the weak link (the last) couple times out. I'm not leaving my team a chance to win; I'm not doing my job at all."
Sale allowed two runs on a home run by Forsythe, Tampa Bay's first baseman, in the first. He gave up another homer in the fifth to right fielder Mikie Mahtook and then was charged with four of the five runs Tampa Bay scored in the sixth that made it an 8-1 game.
It was the third straight loss for the White Sox, who are 1-4 on a six-game homestand that followed a 7-1 showing on their last road trip.
"Every time we start a new series, we're looking to win the series and stuff like that," said Chicago third baseman Tyler Saladino, who went 2-for-4 with a solo home run. "As far as going back and forth (winning and losing), it's just baseball. Tomorrow is a brand new day. We've got a brand new game to play and a whole new matchup, so we'll get back after it (Wednesday)."
The Rays (54-54) won their third straight, will have a chance to sweep the three-game series Wednesday.
Along with the home runs by Forsythe and Mahtook, the Rays got back-to-back solo homers in the seventh from shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and third baseman Richie Shaffer -- whose shot to right field was the rookie's first hit in the majors.
Right-handed reliever Daniel Webb allowed each of those home runs and gave up three runs on six hits in 1 1/3 innings.
Eight Tampa Bay players drove in runs, led by Forsythe and center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (3-for-5), who each had two RBIs. Cabrera went 2-for-4 with an RBI and three runs, and catcher Rene Rivera went 3-for-5 with an RBI.
"We were just going to be aggressive," Kiermaier, a left-handed hitter, said of facing Sale. "We said, 'If he throws 80 to 90 pitches tonight, (that's fine). We're not going to go up here and let him just carve us up.'"
NOTES: Rays manager Kevin Cash said LHP Drew Smyly will make at least two more starts during his rehab stint in the minors, with the next scheduled outing Thursday for Triple-A Durham. Smyly is on the 15-day disabled list recovering from a torn labrum in his left shoulder. ... Cash said OF Desmond Jennings (bursitis in left knee) is progressing well during his rehab stint in the minors at Triple-A Durham. Cash said it will still take some time for Jennings to get his timing back at the plate and didn't say when he expected to get him back on the Rays' active roster. ... White Sox manager Robin Ventura isn't concerned about some recent hiccups on his pitching staff, which had allowed 42 runs in the first five games of the homestand. ... Ventura said rookie OF Trayce Thompson is a candidate to start in the series finale Wednesday. If so, LF Melky Cabrera might be moved to the DH role. Thompson made his major league debut Tuesday as a pinch hitter.
