CHICAGO _ For a glimpse of how well things have been going for the Rays, consider that it was newsworthy to a certain degree Monday that Blake Snell, working with a four-run lead in the fifth inning, gave up a run.
Doing so snapped one of the impressive streaks the Rays had assembled in these first two weeks of the season, 35 scoreless innings by their starters. That was the longest streak in the majors since the Nationals did 47-1/3 in 2015, and in the American League since the Indians went 44-1/3 in 2008.
It was a good day's work, nonetheless, for the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, who went six strong innings, striking out five of the first six and 11 overall, as the Rays rolled past the White Sox, 5-1.
The win improved the Rays to 8-3, matching their 2010 team _ their 2010 AL East division championship team _ for the best 11-game start in franchise history.
Snell's teammates made it somewhat easy for him, taking advantage of sloppy White Sox pitching to score two in the first and two in the second.
Facing top White Sox starter Carlos Rodon, the Rays took charge quickly. Yandy Diaz, who has hits in nine of his 10 games, led off with a single. A Tommy Pham walk, extending his on-base streak to 43 games overall, and Daniel Robertson single loaded the bases. Guillermo Heredia drew a walk to force in the first run, and a Ji-Man Choi sacrifice fly delivered the other.
In the second, Willy Adames, seemingly out of his season-starting funk, led off with a double and moved up on a wild pitch, then Pham drew another walk. With runners on the corners, the Rays went to the squeeze bunt play brought to them years ago by Don Zimmer and now back in use more, and Robertson got the run home. A single by Avisail Garcia, the longtime White Sox outfielder making his first visit back, made it 4-0.
Snell cruised through much of the afternoon, though he was challenged in the sixth. Leading 4-1, he allowed a leadoff double to Leury Garcia then, after a mound visit from pitching coach Kyle Snyder, could only deflect a grounder hit back at him by Tim Anderson.
That put two on and the tying run at the plate with the middle of the Sox order coming up. Snell was up to the challenge, striking out Jose Abreu, Wellington Castillo and Yoan Moncada.
For the afternoon, Snell allowed six hits and no walks, throwing 100 pitches, 66 strikes. Hunter Wood, called up Monday morning to add an arm to the bullpen, worked the final three innings for the save.
The Rays got another run in the eighth when pinch hitter Austin Meadows drew their second bases-loaded walk of the day. The teams play again Tuesday afternoon, with veteran Charlie Morton starting for the Rays and Ervin Santana slated to be called up to start for the Sox.
