ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) \u2014 Anthony Kay tossed 6 1\/3 scoreless innings, Andrew Benintendi, Everson Pereira and Miguel Vargas hit home runs, and the Chicago White Sox beat the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays 9-1 on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The White Sox (58-52), who entered August in first place of the AL Central for the first time since 2021, hold a 3 1\/2 game lead over the Minnesota Twins.<\/p>\n
Kay (8-5) fanned three batters and allowed seven hits while walking one. Duncan Davitt surrendered the lone run on his first pitch of the ninth.<\/p>\n
Benintendi scored the game’s first run on a fielding error by Griffin Jax (6-9) in the first inning, and Colson Montgomery doubled the lead after Benintendi’s advance to second allowed him to come across from third; the play<\/a> was officially scored as a wild pitch by Jax.<\/p>\n Benintendi launched his 12th homer of the year 378 feet over the right-center field wall in the fourth, and Pereira extended the lead with a two-run double in the sixth inning.<\/p>\n Pereira tacked on his his fourth home run of the year in the ninth before Vargas sealed the game with a 413-footer to the left-field seats at Tropicana Field.<\/p>\n In five innings, Jax allowed three runs on four hits while striking out eight.<\/p>\n Ben Williamson scored the Rays’ only run with a solo homer to left field.<\/p>\n