Rays end Lynn's no-hit bid in 7th, beat White Sox 12-3

CHICAGO, (AP) - Wander Franco homered leading off the seventh inning to end Lance Lynn’s no-hit bid, and the Tampa Bay Rays exploded for 10 runs in the inning and beat the Chicago White Sox 12-3 on Saturday night.

Randy Arozarena hit two homers for the Rays, who improved to a major league-best 23-5.

"That was the strategy we came up with early in the game, not get a hit in six innings and just explode in the seventh inning on," Arozarena said jokingly through a translator.

Franco hit his fifth homer of the season on Lynn’s 84th pitch to begin the eventful seventh. Arozarena and Josh Lowe homered back-to-back to cap the rally as White Sox fans chanted, "Sell the team! Sell the team!"

"All we need is that one little spark at any moment in the game and we just catch fire from there," Lowe said.

Tampa Bay had nine hits in the inning, including five for extra bases.

The White Sox have lost 10 straight to match their longest skid since 2013.

Yonny Chirinos (1-0) allowed a run in 4 2/3 innings.

Lynn (0-4) struck out Arozarena after Franco’s homer before allowing Lowe’s single and Isaac Paredes’ double to cut Chicago’s lead to 3-2. Paredes advanced to third on Lynn’s throwing error to home.

Lynn issued a walk and was replaced by Aaron Bummer, who allowed an infield single to pinch-hitter Manuel Margot to tie it at 3. Jose Siri followed with a go-ahead double.

"Lance Lynn was really, really good, had that command going, had the fastball at the top of the zone, backdoor cutter kind of gave us fits," manager Kevin Cash said "And then something clicked. Wander’s home run, and it seemed like it just kind of had a little bit of that carryover effect at-bat to at-bat. A lot of really, really good at-bats that inning."

Lynn, who entered Saturday with a 7.52 ERA, struck out 10, walked two and was charged with four runs and three hits in 6 1/3 innings.

"I had a no-hitter? I’m serious," Lynn said. "I know I got a loss tonight, so it doesn’t (expletive) matter."

Bummer and Jimmy Lambert each allowed three runs.

Francisco Mejía added a solo shot off Keynan Middleton in the eighth.

The White Sox went ahead 2-0 in the second on Elvis Andrus’s two-run single off opener Calvin Faucher. Eloy Jiménez doubled in the sixth for a 3-0 lead.

Lynn had kept the no-hitter going in the inning by striking out Mejía looking and grabbing Siri’s liner before left fielder Gavin Sheets made a running catch at the wall.

"I’m back to being me, so I need to build off tonight," Lynn said.

ROSTER MOVE

Tampa Bay acquired right-handed reliever Javy Guerra from Milwaukee for $75,000 or a player to be named. Guerra was 0-0 with an 8.64 ERA in eight appearances with the Brewers this season. He was designated for assignment Monday, one day after he allowed five runs over 1 2/3 innings in a 12-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

Guerra went 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 17 appearances with the Rays last season.

Tampa Bay designated RHP Braden Bristo for assignment.

EARLY NIGHT

White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. was pulled before his at-bat in the second inning as a managerial decision, the team said. He grounded out to the pitcher in the first without running full speed. Fans reacted with boos.

Robert said his right hamstring felt tight after he hustled during Friday’s game. He withheld that information from manager Pedro Grifol, who said he told Robert to run hard down the line.

"I think my mistake was that I didn’t tell anybody," Robert sad. "I didn’t tell the manager because I knew if I said something to him, he probably wouldn’t let me play."

Robert said he told teammates to help him run down fly balls. Robert said he understood Grifol’s decision because he didn’t know.

"People who know me, they know I’m always doing my best and running hard down the line," Robert said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: RHP Tyler Glasnow (left oblique strain) threw two innings at Tropicana Field and is expected to pitch three innings in a rehab stint with Triple-A Durham, Cash said. ... 1B Yandy Díaz (left shoulder soreness) pinch hit after he exited Friday’s game. … Cash said he is unsure of the status of RHP Pete Fairbanks, who has experienced limited circulation in his fingers resulting from Raynaud’s disease in cold weather. He exited Friday’s game after extending his franchise-record scoreless streak to 29 2/3-innings.

White Sox: OF Andrew Benintendi was out of the lineup after he was hit by a pitch Friday, but he could return Sunday, Grifol said. … 3B Yoán Moncada (lower back soreness) has been running, hitting and fielding grounders. "His left-handed swing is feeling really, really good. His right-handed swing is a little bit behind," Grifol said.

UP NEXT

RHP Drew Rasmussen (3-2, 3.33 ERA) is scheduled to start for Tampa Bay against Chicago and RHP Mike Clevinger (2-2, 4.81) on Sunday.