CHICAGO -- Things didn't start very well for the White Sox on Monday night at U.S. Cellular Field.How about a double, a sacrifice bunt, two errors on the sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly to center to score a runner from second base? And that all took place within the first five pitches by starter Andre Rienzo to the Rays.But a two-run deficit is nothing for hitting coach Todd Steverson's high-powered offense to overcome. 
The White Sox (14-13) scored two runs each in the second, fourth and sixth innings and cruised to a 7-3 victory before a crowd braving the elements that included 600 dogs. This victory gave the South Siders a series victory with three wins in four games against the Rays (11-15) and moved them within one game of the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central, with the Tigers in town Tuesday and Wednesday for a brief two-game, day-night set.Yes, April has not even come to a close, but a first-place battle for a team that won 63 last year is still a step forward.Rienzo's fielding and throwing errors scored Ben Zobrist and Matt Joyce's long fly ball to center, grabbed by Adam Eaton against the wall, scored Desmond Jennings from second for that 2-0 first-inning lead. The White Sox fought back with two in the second off of Jake Odorizzi (1-3) on Alejandro De Aza's two-run homer. De Aza has four homers on the season, with two coming on Opening Day.Alexei Ramirez tripled home one run in the fourth and Marcus Semien added a two-out double to give the White Sox the lead. Eaton's two-out, two-run double in the sixth upped the lead to 6-3. Ramirez added a double in the seventh to give him 38 hits for April, leaving him one behind Paul Konerko's April club record of 39 set in 2002.Jose Abreu drove home his 32nd RBI with an eighth-inning single.Rienzo (2-0) threw 105 pitches over six innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked three. Zach Putnam and Matt Lindstrom closed out the victory, giving the White Sox a 4-2 record over their last six games.Scott Merkin / MLB.com
The White Sox (14-13) scored two runs each in the second, fourth and sixth innings and cruised to a 7-3 victory before a crowd braving the elements that included 600 dogs. This victory gave the South Siders a series victory with three wins in four games against the Rays (11-15) and moved them within one game of the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central, with the Tigers in town Tuesday and Wednesday for a brief two-game, day-night set.Yes, April has not even come to a close, but a first-place battle for a team that won 63 last year is still a step forward.Rienzo's fielding and throwing errors scored Ben Zobrist and Matt Joyce's long fly ball to center, grabbed by Adam Eaton against the wall, scored Desmond Jennings from second for that 2-0 first-inning lead. The White Sox fought back with two in the second off of Jake Odorizzi (1-3) on Alejandro De Aza's two-run homer. De Aza has four homers on the season, with two coming on Opening Day.Alexei Ramirez tripled home one run in the fourth and Marcus Semien added a two-out double to give the White Sox the lead. Eaton's two-out, two-run double in the sixth upped the lead to 6-3. Ramirez added a double in the seventh to give him 38 hits for April, leaving him one behind Paul Konerko's April club record of 39 set in 2002.Jose Abreu drove home his 32nd RBI with an eighth-inning single.Rienzo (2-0) threw 105 pitches over six innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked three. Zach Putnam and Matt Lindstrom closed out the victory, giving the White Sox a 4-2 record over their last six games.Scott Merkin / MLB.com
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