Chicago White Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays
6:40 PM ET, April 21, 2011
Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
A loss to the Chicago White Sox earlier this month dropped the defending AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays to 0-6 for the first time in franchise history.
Another victory over the White Sox can put the Rays over .500 for the first time this season.
Tampa Bay goes for its first four-game sweep of Chicago on Thursday night when the visiting White Sox try to avoid their eighth straight defeat.
Since a 5-1 loss at Chicago (7-11) on April 7, the Rays (9-9) have won nine of 12 to join the 1991 Seattle Mariners as the only teams since 1900 to reach .500 in April after opening the season with six losses.
"The fact that we're back to that level is great, but our goal is well above .500," manager Joe Maddon said following Wednesday's 4-1 victory.
While Tampa Bay is batting .297 and scoring 5.0 runs per game during its 8-1 stretch -- up from .163 and 2.2 during its first nine games -- the team's starters are 6-1 with a 2.22 ERA during this recent run, a vast improvement from their 5.26 ERA through nine games.
Another victory over the White Sox can put the Rays over .500 for the first time this season.
Tampa Bay goes for its first four-game sweep of Chicago on Thursday night when the visiting White Sox try to avoid their eighth straight defeat.
Since a 5-1 loss at Chicago (7-11) on April 7, the Rays (9-9) have won nine of 12 to join the 1991 Seattle Mariners as the only teams since 1900 to reach .500 in April after opening the season with six losses.
"The fact that we're back to that level is great, but our goal is well above .500," manager Joe Maddon said following Wednesday's 4-1 victory.
While Tampa Bay is batting .297 and scoring 5.0 runs per game during its 8-1 stretch -- up from .163 and 2.2 during its first nine games -- the team's starters are 6-1 with a 2.22 ERA during this recent run, a vast improvement from their 5.26 ERA through nine games.
Watch Chicago White Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays Live Online Stream Free April 21, 2011
