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Rays roll over White Sox, punch ticket to ALCS

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10/06/2008 - Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - B.J. Upton hit two solo homers, and the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Chicago White Sox, 6-2, to clinch their first berth in an American League Championship Series in franchise history.

Andy Sonnanstine (1-0) held the White Sox to two runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings, with four strikeouts and a walk, to win Game 4, and in the process clinch this American League Division Series for the Rays, who are making their first postseason appearance.

Tampa Bay will battle division rival Boston in the ALCS. The Red Sox edged the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 3-2, on Monday to win their ALDS, also by a 3-1 tally. The Rays have homefield advantage for the ALCS by virtue of winning the season series with the Red Sox 10-8, and will host Game 1 on Friday.

"If you have seen us play all year we've played that game a lot," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "That's what's so nice. When you keep things simple and you just play the fundamentals of the game appropriately then good things can happen. Especially when you are playing with a bunch of skillful young men like we have."

Carlos Pena went 3-for-4 with two RBI to supplement the early blasts by Upton, who homered three times in the last two games of the series for the AL East champions.

"It means everything," said Upton when asked about the postgame celebration. "We've been at the bottom of the barrel for so long. And I think there was a point in time where people didn't even know who we were.

"And for the guys that have been here for awhile, Carl Crawford, I think it benefits him the most. I mean, he's been through some tough times. He's been in last place most of his career and ... right now we're in a good position."

Gavin Floyd (0-1) surrendered four runs on five hits for Chicago, including both of Upton's homers, in three-plus innings while striking out four and walking two to take the loss. Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye each hit solo homers for the White Sox, which failed to get its two veteran stars -- Ken Griffey Jr. and Jim Thome -- a chance at their first World Series championship.

"They played better than us. There's no doubt," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "They pitched better. They executed better. They got big hits ... I tip my hat to them because they outplayed us."

Upton went deep to left with one out and the bases empty in the first, staking the Rays to the early lead.

Rays right fielder Gabe Gross made a spectacular leaping catch at the wall in the home half of the inning, robbing A.J. Pierzynski of at least an extra-base hit, and possibly a solo home run.

Upton extended the Tampa Bay lead to 2-0 with another long ball in the third inning, his third in four at-bats after hitting nine homers in 531 regular season at-bats. This time Upton took Floyd deep to center with one out.

"Last couple days I've gotten back to my strength and kind of got a couple pitches to hit up in the zone," said Upton. "And (I) basically took advantage of them."

Tampa Bay doubled its lead in the fourth. Crawford led off with a walk and scored when Cliff Floyd lined a double to left. Floyd advanced to third when the throw to the plate skipped off of Pierzynski and came home when Dioner Navarro lined a single to shallow right, pushing the Rays edge to 4-0.

That ended Floyd's first career postseason start, as Clayton Richard came out of the bullpen for the young right-hander.

"Gavin was just behind the count most of the game," said Guillen. "That's why he got hit. He was behind the count almost every hitter ... I don't think he pitched well."

Konerko got the White Sox on the board with his second homer of the series in the home half of the fourth, a solo shot to left with two outs. The Rays answered right back with a run in the fifth, though.

Akinori Iwamura singled to lead off the frame, headed to second on Upton's groundout, and scored on Pena's single to left, pushing the Rays lead to 5-1.

Dye's first homer of the series, with two outs and the bases empty in the sixth, cut the deficit to three runs in the sixth, but Pena added to the Rays' lead with another RBI single in the seventh. Pena knocked in Jason Bartlett, who led off the inning with a double to left, and Tampa Bay again took a four- run edge.

With the exception of the solo homers, the White Sox offense never got going against Sonnanstine and the Rays bullpen. Alexei Ramirez singled with two outs in the seventh, but pinch-hitter Nick Swisher struck out, and Dye fanned to end the eighth inning after Pierzynski had walked.

Grant Balfour tossed the last two innings for the Rays, and retired both Thome and Griffey in the ninth. Thome grounded out to start the ninth, and Griffey struck out to end the game, kicking off the celebration for the Rays.

Game Notes

Tampa Bay won 9 of 14 against the White Sox this season, including eight of the last 10...The White Sox fell to 5-6 all time in postseason series', and 28-26 in the playoffs...This was the first win for the Rays in the series in which the White Sox did not lead at any point.