Rays knock White Sox out of playoffs

The Chicago White Sox led the major leagues in home runs this season, but B.J. Upton and the Tampa Bay Rays outslugged them at U.S. Cellular Field on Monday.

Upton homered in both of his first two at-bats as the Rays downed the White Sox 6-2 to clinch the best-of-five American League Division Series in four games.

"They played better than us, there is no doubt," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "They pitched better, they executed better, they got big hits and they really did a tremendous job."

Playing for the AL pennant is a tremendous achievement for the upstart Rays, the worst team in the major leagues last season at 66-96.

"Obviously, this is an incredible accomplishment and we're going to take tonight and really enjoy it," Rays general manager Andrew Friedman enthused.

"It means everything," Upton said. "We have been at the bottom of the barrel for so long."  

Tampa Bay failed to win more than 70 games in each of its first 10 seasons, but it won the AL East Division over perennial contenders like the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees with a record of 97-65 this season.

The Rays host the Red Sox in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series on Friday.  

"Let's keep it alive," Rays manager Joe Maddon said of Tampa Bay's first-ever playoff drive.

"We feel like we belong and it is showing right now," Upton said. "We're kind of a fraternity and we stick together at all times, no matter what happens.

"As long as we keep that attitude and continue playing as a team and doing the little things to win, I don't think there is any reason why we cannot win this whole thing."

Upton, who homered just nine times during the regular season, belted solo shots to left field off Chicago starter Gavin Floyd in the first and third innings.

"I tried to jump him early and get a good pitch and I got two," said Upton, who also homered in Sunday's 5-3 loss in Game 3.

"B.J. is special," Maddon said. "He is very capable of those types of games."

Carlos Pena contributed three hits and two runs batted in, while Cliff Floyd and Dionner Navarro had the other RBIs.

'He gives us a chance'

Tampa Bay starter Andy Sonnanstine surrendered solo home runs to Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively.

"He doesn't really let ball games get out of hand," Upton said. "He gives us a chance."

Sonnanstine (1-0) was charged with two runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings pitched.

He struck out four batters and walked one, recovering nicely from a recent rough patch in which he went 0-3 in his final seven starts of the regular season.

"Hats off to him," Upton said. "He threw a great game when we needed it."

Reliever J.P. Howell retired four of the five batters he faced for the hold, and Grant Balfour held the White Sox hitless over the final two innings to close out the win.

Floyd (0-1) lasted three innings in defeat, yielding four runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Chicago, which led the majors with 235 home runs, won the AL Central title by virtue of a 1-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins in a one-game playoff on Sept. 30.

"When you have to play playoff baseball the last two weeks of the regular season, it is just so hard to get over that first hump," Konerko said. "We just ran out of gas."

"It is good for baseball for a team like Tampa to win," White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf concluded. "It is too bad they had to beat us, but it is good for the game."