American League Playoff Scores: Tampa Bay Rays Take 2-0 Series Lead After Topping Chicago White Sox

Akinori Iwamura hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead and the Rays bullpen tossed 3 2/3 innings of scoreless ball to lift the AL East champions to a 6-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox  and take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five playoff series.

Chicago got to Rays starter Scott Kazmir in the first inning as Orlando Cabrera led off the game by getting hit by a pitch, Nick Swisher walked and Jermaine Dye singled to load the bases. Kazmir was able to get Paul Konerko to pop out but Jim Thome followed with an RBI single and Alexei Ramirez lifted a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.

Things turned Tampa’s way in the bottom of the second inning as Willy Aybar led off the frame with a single of White Sox starter Mark Buehrle and when Rocco Baldelli lined out to second baseman Alexei Ramirez he tried to double-up Aybar but his throw sailed and Aybar was standing on third. Dioner Navarro then singled home Aybar to cut their deficit to 2-1.

Kazmir settled down and kept the White Sox from adding to their lead through the fifth and the Tampa offense rewarded him in the bottom of that frame as Jason Bartlett reached on a one-out single and Iwamura followed with a homerun to give the Rays a 3-2 advantage.

Tampa’s bullpen managed to get itself out of trouble in the sixth and seventh and in the bottom of the eighth the Rays crossed the plate three times as B.J. Upton led off the inning with a triple, Carl Crawford scored him on a single and then stole second. He came around to score on a two-out single from Baldelli and when Navarro followed with a double the Rays had their 6-2 lead.

Chad Bradford then shut the door in the ninth to finish things off and give Tampa the 2-0 lead in their series. Everything shifts to Chicago on Sunday as the White Sox put John Danks on the hill to face the Rays Matt Garza with first pitch set for 4:07 p.m. ET.

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